COLLEGE HIGHLIGHTS : Slugger Balfanz Takes His Lumps in 19-2 Win Over CS Long Beach

John Balfanz was tired and sore, the result of another record-setting day on the baseball field.

Having become the Cal State Northridge career home-run leader last week, Balfanz entered his name into the record book once more Tuesday, but not exactly the way he might have liked.

Balfanz was hit by a pitch four times in Northridge’s 19-2 victory over Cal State Long Beach in a nonconference game at 49er field.

“That was a tough one to get,” Balfanz said afterward. “I’d rather hit home runs. They’re easier.”

It was questionable who was beaten up more when it was over, Balfanz, or the Long Beach pitching staff.

Hitting Balfanz was perhaps Long Beach’s only satisfaction in its second game of the year against Northridge. The Matadors won the first game, 13-4, last week as Balfanz hit two home runs.

On Tuesday, the senior first baseman was the only Northridge player to go without a hit, but he did score twice and drive in a run with a sacrifice fly.

The Matadors pounded six 49er pitchers for 20 hits, including six doubles, one triple and a home run.

The recipient of the offensive outburst was Dan Penner, who improved his record to 2-1, scattering seven hits--all singles--in seven innings. The only run he allowed came in the second on a hit batter, a sacrifice and a run-scoring single.

And does this guy know how to make an exit? The last pitch he threw was turned into a triple play.

With the bases loaded in the seventh, pinch-hitter Gary Sloan hit a line drive at the feet of CSUN second baseman Jimmy Mitchell, who caught it and flipped the ball to shortstop Chris Pinsak to double the runner off second. Pinsak then threw to first before that runner could get back.

“That just petered us right out,” said Long Beach Coach John Gonsalves, who saw his team’s record fall to 2-7-1. “After that, we just went pffft.”

The score was already 11-1 at that point.

Northridge (5-5) scored once in the second, twice in the third, and put the game away with three in the fifth and five in the sixth.

Eight of the runs came off Dwight Choyce, Long Beach’s starter. Choyce, a senior from Cleveland High, allowed nine hits in five innings. He left after giving up a walk to Mitchell and a single to Jim Vatcher leading off the sixth.

The five Long Beach pitchers that followed didn’t fare much better. Least effective was Brian Leonard, who started the eighth by giving up a single to Tim Rapp and a run-scoring double to Rob Scott on consecutive pitches.

Leonard then hit Mark Anderson, gave up a single to Scott McIntyre and walked Mitchell to force in a run before being replaced by Steve Corey.

Corey finished the inning without too much more damage--at least by comparison. He allowed a single, a sacrifice fly and hit a batter. John Kopaczewski, who came on in the ninth to mop up for Long Beach, was rocked for three more runs.

Lenny Gilmore had four hits for Northridge, and Rapp and Scott each had three. Anderson had two, including his first home run of the season, a drive over the 375-foot sign in right-center in the fifth inning.

Rapp had four runs batted in and Pinsak, Scott and Anderson each had three.

“This was a big game for us because they’re a Division I school,” Anderson said. “Our bats just caught fire today. It’s just one of those things. We’ve beat them bad twice. I’m just glad we don’t have to play them again.”

And so, most likely, is Balfanz.

BASEBALL

Rio Hondo 5, Moorpark 4--Moorpark stranded 12 runners, including three in the ninth inning, in the nonconference game.

Moorpark trailed, 5-4, in the bottom of the ninth inning when Von Herron and Rod Stillwell walked. After Rick Allen flied out, Eddie Hall was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Kevin Day, who had singled in his previous three at-bats, was caught looking at a third strike, however, and Dan Russell lined out to shortstop to end the game.

Moorpark (2-3) took a 4-3 lead in the fourth inning when Sean Thompson hit a solo home run, his first. Thompson was 2 for 4. Day was 3 for 4 and Duane Mulville was 2 for 4 with a double.

Joe Solomon, a freshman from Camarillo High, threw four innings of shutout relief for the Raiders. He struck out three and walked one. Anthony Mohr (0-1) took the loss.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

CS Los Angeles 71, Cal Lutheran 50--Kim Peppi scored 14 points to increase her career-record total to 1,502 for Cal Lutheran. Teammate Gloria Phillipps had 21 points and 20 rebounds in the nonconference game at Cal Lutheran (9-17). Sue Doody had 16 points and 10 rebounds for Cal State L.A. (19-8).

Moorpark 75, Santa Barbara 49--Karina Hardman scored 21 points and Debra Rabin added 16 points in the Western State Athletic Conference game. Julie Treu scored 12 points and teammate Michele Brown scored 10 points for Moorpark (17-10, 9-2). Moorpark’s Michele Marcione had six points and a game-high eight rebounds.