Northridge Plays Long Ball but Comes Up Short : Cal Poly Pomona Holds On for Conference Win, 8-6, Despite 2 Home Runs by Matadors

If players from the University of Houston basketball team of a few years ago deserved the nickname Phi Slama Jama, then maybe members of the Cal State Northridge baseball team should be known as Kappa Boom Bama.

The Matadors hit home run Nos. 100 and 101 Wednesday at home against Cal Poly Pomona, only this time it wasn’t enough. The Matadors lost, 8-6, perhaps only slightly impeding their progress toward a second-place finish in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. and entrance to the Division II West regional next week.

The scenario Wednesday was much as it has been all year, with the same question arising at the end: Could the Northridge bats overcome the team’s fielding and pitching deficiencies?

The answer after 8 1/2 innings would have been an overwhelming, “no.” Pomona led, 8-4, and starting pitcher Charlie Webb, who has a 10-6 record and conference-best 2.46 earned-run average, had scattered seven hits--only one for extra bases.

Three of Northridge’s four runs were set up by a lost fly-ball triple in the third inning. Craig Burns and Danny Fernandez, who had singled with one out, scored when Jim Vatcher’s fly to right field was misplayed by Pomona’s Bill Beeman. Vatcher later scored on a wild pitch.

Webb, who had completed each of his 15 starts, had retired seven straight batters before Chris Pinsak led off the bottom of the ninth with a home run just inside the foul pole in right.

Pierre Rodnunsky followed Pinsak and fought off an 0-2 count before taking Webb deep to left for a home run. Northridge trailed, 8-6.

Webb walked Burns and was relieved by Wayne Koklys.

Fernandez then flied to right, Vatcher flied to center on a pitch over his head and Lenn Gilmore struck out to end the game.

“Everyone was up there trying to tie it with a home run when all we needed was a base hit,” Vatcher said. “We’ve won a lot of games with home runs, but it’s not always going to happen that way.”

The victory gave Pomona a glimmer of hope of reaching the regional playoffs. The Broncos are 30-27, 15-12 and two games behind Northridge (36-19, 18-11) with three games to play. To tie CSUN, Pomona must win three straight against CCAA champion Cal State Dominguez Hills on Friday and Saturday and Northridge must lose its final game against Cal State Los Angeles on Saturday.

Pomona would be the conference’s second-place team by virtue of its four wins in five games against the Matadors. The second-place team from the CCAA is likely to gain a playoff berth, although an NCAA selection committee won’t determine that until Monday.

Dan Penner (10-7) took the loss, allowing 13 hits and walking 5 in 7 innings. Although the senior right-hander wasn’t particularly sharp, Coach Terry Craven said he pitched well enough to win with a little support. Third baseman Tim Rapp committed two more errors, giving him 23 on the season, and catcher Fernandez, playing for an injured Scott McIntyre, had a passed ball that allowed a run.

“We just gave away too many runs,” Craven said. “We weren’t making the plays, we didn’t get a call, and they took full advantage.”

The call Craven referred to took place in the seventh inning with Northridge clinging to a 4-3 lead. With two out and a runner on second, Pomona’s David Schuster hit a ground ball to the right of Pinsak at short. Pinsak made a nice play to backhand the ball but threw wide to first baseman John Balfanz, pulling him off the bag. Balfanz scrambled back to the base but Schuster was ruled safe. Pomona scored three runs in the inning.