CSUN’s Spellman Stays for the Show in 11-Inning Win

They held a magic show at Cal State Northridge on Saturday that even Doug Henning would have admired.

As the stunned Cal State Sacramento players watched, the amazing Bill Kernen, coach of the Matadors, pulled not one, but two rabbits out of his hat.

The first, freshman Eric Spellman, who had pitched 8 2/3 innings all season, went the distance in Northridge’s 2-1, 11-inning victory over Sacramento, ranked third in NCAA Division II.

The second, junior Greg Hansen, in his fifth at-bat of the season, powered the game-winning home run over the left-field wall in the 11th.

“Unbelievable,” Kernen said after Northridge improved to 22-14-1 with the nonconference win. “If anybody can ever figure this game out, he’ll be the first guy.”

It was, indeed, a day of intangibles.

Sacramento (29-13), runner-up in the Division II College World Series last season, sent its ace, junior right-hander Erik Bennett, against the Matadors. Bennett had struck out 104 batters in 78 2/3 innings and had an earned-run average of 1.49.

Northridge, short on healthy hurlers, countered with Spellman, a walk-on from Royal High who had not pitched since Feb. 17 and who had an ERA of 4.15.

So what happens? Bennett pitches six innings of two-hit ball before tiring and leaving with the score tied, 1-1.

Spellman (2-0), relying primarily on a hard slider and off-speed pitch, shackled the usually hard-hitting Hornets, limiting them to seven singles and a bloop double. He struck out two and walked two.

“I didn’t know I was starting until I read the paper today (Saturday). I went ‘Whoa,’ ” Spellman said. “So I came down here and put it on the line.”

Said Sacramento Coach John Smith: “Whatever he was throwing was dancing around the plate and we couldn’t hit it. He showed a lot of courage staying out there for 11 innings.”

Northridge took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Craig Clayton led off with a single and Mike Solar followed with a walk. Chae-Ho Chong grounded to third baseman Shawn Blankenship, who bobbled the potential double-play ball and settled for a force at second.

Anton Siegl followed with a sacrifice fly to right-center.

Sacramento tied the score in the fifth. Ryan Kato led off with a single and took second on a sacrifice bunt by Blankenship. Kato moved to third on a ground out, then scored on a wild pitch.

Both teams had a chance to win in the ninth. The Hornets had three hits in the inning, but catcher Rusty McLain threw out pinch-runner Steve Furchner at second, and Denny Vigo turned Quinn Gregory’s hard smash into a double play to turn Sacramento away.

Siegl led off the Matador ninth with a double but was unable to advance as reliever Bob Blankenship (4-2) shut Northridge down.

But Hansen, who entered the game as a pinch-runner in the ninth, ended it in the 11th by driving a Blankenship fastball over the wall in left.