BASEBALL ROUNDUP : Jordan, UC Riverside Shut Down Northridge in Routine Fashion, 6-2

In Friday’s California Collegiate Athletic Assn. game between Cal State Northridge and UC Riverside at the Riverside Sports Center, there was little of the drama and emotion present the last time the schools met in May.

In that game at Riverside, two players and two coaches from Northridge were ejected and an umpire left the field in the wake of a controversial call.

But in Riverside’s 6-2 victory on Friday, the Highlanders’ Bill Jordan (4-1) left little doubt about the outcome.

The sophomore right-hander, who pitched in relief in last season’s game, scattered five hits in eight innings.

Meanwhile, Jordan’s teammates pounded out 10 hits, including five for extra bases, and never trailed.

“Last year’s game was chaotic, it was really crazy,” said Jordan, remembering last year’s game in which the Matadors won, 12-10, on a three-run homer by Denny Vigo in the top of the ninth. “There have been some emotional games between us. We have developed somewhat of a rivalry. It was important for us to win.”

Riverside (15-5, 6-2 in conference play) moved past Northridge (10-7, 5-2) into first place. The teams will meet again today at 1 p.m. at Northridge.

Riverside took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning on Chad Townsend’s towering 400-foot home run over the 25-foot-high right-center-field wall.

The Matadors cut Riverside’s advantage to 2-1 in the top of the fifth when Scott Richardson (two for four) scored from first on Greg Shockey’s double.

Riverside countered with two runs in the bottom of the inning on a triple by Pete Weber (three for four), who also had a single and a double, and a double by Ruben Ayala to take a 4-1 lead.

“We just never got going,” Northridge Coach Bill Kernen said. “That’s the story of the game. We didn’t play badly. We made some mistakes. They took advantage of them and scored.”

The Matadors scored their final run in the eighth when Mike Solar came home on a bases-loaded walk with two out. But the rally ended when Craig Clayton grounded out.