CS Northridge’s Clayton Finds No Relief After Early Exit

For the fifth time in six starts, Craig Clayton of Cal State Northridge failed to pitch past the seventh inning.

Normally, that isn’t a problem, but Saturday it resulted in a loss.

UC Riverside scored four runs in the seventh inning to turn a one-run lead into a comfortable 8-3 California Collegiate Athletic Assn. baseball victory at Matador Field. In beating Northridge for the second time in as many days, the Highlanders improved to 16-6 overall and 7-2 in conference play, moving 1 1/2 games ahead of the second-place Matadors (10-8, 5-3).

Clayton, who has one complete game, also left in the seventh inning against Sonoma State and Chapman, but Northridge won both games.

“I call it the ‘seventh-inning jinx,’ ” Clayton said. “I really don’t know why it happens. It’s not conditioning because I don’t get tired. I just can’t hit my spots. I need to be more fine and more focused with my pitches.”

The trouble actually began in the sixth when Logan Ostrander hit the first of his two solo home runs to give Riverside a 3-2 lead.

Then came the jinx. Chad Townsend led off the seventh with a double to right. Troy Percival bunted down the third-base line and Clayton threw high, failing to get Townsend at third.

Mark Saugstad, the ninth batter in the Highlander lineup, drove Clayton’s next pitch over the left-field wall for a three-run home run. Saugstad, who had four hits and four runs batted in, also had a solo home run in the second.

After an out, Matt Davis bounced a grounder off Clayton’s right foot for a single and Pete Weber followed with a single to left.

Todd Denhart replaced Clayton (4-2) and gave up consecutive singles for another run before striking out the next two batters to end the inning.

Clayton gave up seven runs on 10 hits and one walk. He struck out six.

“I made three mistakes and they hit three home runs,” Clayton said. “I threw one fastball down the middle to Saugstad that couldn’t be easier to hit unless it was put on a tee.”

Clayton, who had three hits and three runs batted in, remained in the game as CSUN’s designated-hitter and hit his fifth home run of the season in the eighth to cut the deficit to 7-3.

Clayton also had a run-scoring double in the first and a solo home run in the third that gave the Matadors a 2-1 lead. The three hits raised his team-leading batting average to .432.

Riverside’s David Coopersmith (3-0) threw a five-hitter for the win. He struck out four, walked one and hit two batters.

“I knew Clayton would give me trouble,” said Coopersmith, who beat Arizona State earlier this season. “I tried to challenge him with a couple fastballs and he beat me both times. Luckily, they were one-run home runs.”