Homers Lift CSUN Over Cal Poly SLO

Cal State Northridge hitters played a version of follow the leader Friday afternoon during a California Collegiate Athletic Assn. baseball game against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Held in check for the first three innings by Mustang starter Keith Chura, Northridge’s Ted Weisfuss led off the fourth with a home run, which was followed by a Craig Clayton double, a home run by Chae-Ho Chong and consecutive singles by Rusty McLain and J.D. Haendiges.

The five-hit, three-run rally was the first of three productive innings for Northridge as the Matadors defeated San Luis Obispo, 10-3, in the opener of a three-game series at Matador Field.

Northridge, ranked 14th in Division II, improved to 17-10-1 overall and 7-6-1 in conference play. Eighth-ranked San Luis Obispo is 18-17 and 8-6.

“They’re (Northridge) very young and when somebody hits the ball hard, they get all excited and think, ‘Well heck, why can’t I do the same thing?’ ” said San Luis Obispo Coach Steve McFarland, whose team entered the game atop the conference standings with a half-game lead over Cal State Dominguez Hills.

Northridge’s 13-hit attack featured four home runs, including two by Chong, who has recovered from a slow start to raise his average to .320.

“The air was so thin and so hot today, you just put it up in the jet stream and it was going,” said Chong, who also had a single. “I feel like I was in a slump at the beginning of the year. Now, I feel like I’m getting back in the groove.”

Northridge pitcher Fili Martinez maintained his season-long groove with his fifth complete game. The senior left-hander surrendered eight hits, struck out eight and walked just one batter to improve his record to a misleading 3-3.

Just as he did in his last start against USC, Martinez kept San Luis Obispo hitters off balance and did not allow a hit until the sixth inning.

“The curveball was working again,” said Martinez, who lowered his earned-run average to 2.33. “If you get your curveball over for strikes when you’re behind then you’re going to be successful.”

Northridge increased its lead to 5-0 in the fifth inning when Clayton, who had three hits and four runs batted in, hit a shot off San Luis Obispo third baseman Matt Drake that scored Mike Solar and Weisfuss, who had walked and doubled.

San Luis Obispo scored two runs in the sixth on a bases-loaded double by Sean Harper that followed a single by Bill Daly, an error by Northridge second baseman Randy Thompson and a single by Robert Hale.

Northridge answered with five runs in the home half of the inning to increase its lead to 10-2.

Haendiges led off with a single and scored on a double by Denny Vigo. Two outs later, Weisfuss singled for his third hit of the game and then scored on Clayton’s fourth home run of the season, a low drive just inside the left-field foul pole.

Dave Mossman replaced Chura (5-4) after Clayton’s home run and Chong greeted him with a fly ball over the scoreboard in right field for his seventh homer of the year.

Martinez surrendered a solo home run to Ron Crowe in the ninth before slamming the door.