Clayton Well-Positioned to Help CS Northridge to 6-4 Win

Craig Clayton of Cal State Northridge has won games with his pitching. He has won games with his bat.

Thursday, Clayton used his body to help the Matadors beat Grand Canyon University, 6-4, in the first of a three-game series at Matador Field.

Northridge, ranked ninth in Division II in the Collegiate Baseball magazine poll, improved to 18-12 and extended its winning streak to six games. Grand Canyon, the nation’s top-ranked NAIA team, is 24-12.

Clayton had pitched his way to a 5-2 lead entering the sixth inning when he became a punching bag for Grand Canyon batters. The Antelopes got consecutive singles from Ryan Freeburg, Tony Farinacci and Dino Saigh and had scored a run before Clayton made a crucial defensive play.

With runners at first and third, Troy Tremmel surprised Clayton with a line drive back through the middle. The ball bounced off Clayton’s chest into shallow right field, where Kyle Washington recovered it in time to help retire a runner at third. Clayton got the next two outs to escape with a 5-4 lead.

“It hit me as squarely as you can get hit,” said Clayton, ice packs strapped to his shoulders. “It first hit my finger, then my left shoulder. I got a good mark.”

The Antelopes threatened again in the eighth when Tremmel led off with a double and was replaced by pinch-runner Justin Mills.

Doug Kimball then laid down a bunt that Clayton fielded but followed with a wild throw to first base. Scott Richardson, covering first, made a leaping catch and landed on Kimball, making the tag for an out while Mills moved to third.

Pinch-hitter Tim Florez then missed a suicide-squeeze try and Mills was tagged out.

Todd Denhart replaced Clayton with runners on first and second and one out in the ninth and got Farinacci to hit into a game-ending double play. It was Denhart’s fourth save, tying Jeff Cherry’s school record set in 1972.

Clayton (7-3) gave up four runs on 13 hits and five walks in 8 1/3 innings.

The Matadors took a 3-2 lead in the fourth inning on Greg Shockey’s solo home run. Richardson followed with a double to extend his hitting streak to six games and scored one out later on Washington’s single to left.

Clayton scored the final run of the inning on a sacrifice fly.

Scott Sharts, who walked four times, hit a solo home run in the fifth, his 16th.