COLLEGE BASEBALL ROUNDUP : Cal Poly SLO Finds Power, Pounds CSUN

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo got off to a slow start this season because the Mustangs were leaving too many runners on base.

That wasn’t a problem Wednesday against Cal State Northridge.

The defending Division II national champion Mustangs, who had hit just three home runs all season, blasted six against Northridge en route to a 16-3 California Collegiate Athletic Assn. victory at Matador Field.

The victory gave San Luis Obispo a sweep of the two-game series and improved the Mustangs’ record to 7-12 overall, 3-3 in conference play. Northridge is 10-10, 5-5.

“We knew we had to sweep to get back into the (conference) race,” said Mustang right-fielder Drew Herron, who hit two home runs and had three runs batted in. “We’ve been waiting to break out all year.”

The Mustangs, who collected 17 hits off four Matador pitchers, got two home runs from Jason Pokrzywinski and from Herron, and one each from Sean Harper and Doug O’Neill.

“My pitching plan was pretty terrible,” said Northridge starter Vale Lopez (3-3), who allowed nine runs and 10 hits in six innings.

Northridge’s defense also faltered. The Matadors committed five errors, several of which led directly to Mustang runs.

Northridge was actually ahead, 3-2, after four innings before San Luis Obispo struck for six runs in the fifth behind home runs by O’Neill and Herron.

Senior left-hander Jim Sloan (1-0) allowed three runs and 10 hits in seven innings to earn the victory.

“This could definitely be a turning point in our season,” said Pokrzywinski, who had four RBIs.

Harper had four hits and two RBIs for the Mustangs and Pat Kirby had three hits and two RBIs. Bill Daly also had three hits.

Craig Clayton and Scott Sharts each had three hits for Northridge, which will travel to Cal State Los Angeles on Friday for the first of two games against the Golden Eagles.