COLLEGE HIGHLIGHTS : Message Gets Through to Northridge in Win

Cal State Northridge baseball Coach Terry Craven has been stressing to his ballclub that every game must be approached the same way.

“Every game is the same game,” Craven said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re playing a Division I power such as Arizona State, a Division II or III school.”

The Matadors’ 9-3 drubbing Wednesday of Division III Southern California College at Matador Field, was a clear indication that Craven is getting his message across.

The non-conference win came on the heels of Tuesday’s loss to Cal State Dominguez Hills, in which Matador pitchers issued five walks and were victimized by a handful of fielding errors.

CSUN pitcher Pablo Suarez scattered eight hits and walked one in seven innings of work, while the defense played flawlessly.

Suarez (2-0), a freshman right-hander, had plenty of hitting support.

First baseman John Balfanz led the Matadors’ 12-hit attack with two doubles, a home run and three runs batted in. Balfanz followed Lenny Gilmore’s one-out single in the first inning with a shot over the 381-foot sign in left-center for his team-leading 10th home run, and a 2-0 lead.

CSUN’s Jim Vatcher broke a 2-2 tie with a two-run, ground-rule double in the fourth and Balfanz provided an insurance run in the seventh when he doubled off Vanguard reliever Steve Overeem to score Gilmore, who had doubled.

The 5-3 lead was immediately expanded to 9-3, following a walk and a pair of back-to-back, two-run doubles by Mark Anderson and Pierre Rodnunsky.