Clayton Rights Himself, CSUN in Baseball Win

Haunted by a horrendous pitching debut, Craig Clayton worried that the worst might happen again Saturday against Cal State Sonoma.

But after a horror-filled beginning that included two hits--one a two-run single--a walk and a hit batter before two outs had been recorded, the sophomore right-hander made the right pitches and CSUN earned an 8-5 nonconference victory at home.

“The thought crossed my mind that I wouldn’t get out of the first inning again,” said Clayton, who entered the game with a 94.03 earned-run average. “I told myself not to panic and things will start to turn around.”

It took two curveballs for Clayton to regain his confidence. One induced Jim Wesner to hit into a double play to pull Clayton through the first inning. The second Clayton blasted over the left-field wall for a solo home run that gave Northridge a 6-5 lead in the fourth.

The Matadors (3-3) also scored on Scott Sharts’ solo homer in the seventh and Clayton’s run-scoring single in the eighth.

“I thought Craig had better command of his pitches,” CSUN Coach Bill Kernen said of Clayton (1-1), who lasted six innings and earned the win. “He threw to his spots and was more under control.”