CSUN’s Hitting Rampage Continues, 12-2 : College baseball: Matadors (2-0) maul Grand Canyon pitching for second consecutive day.

Many of the 170 people who gathered Saturday afternoon at Grand Canyon University’s Brazell Stadium to watch the Antelopes play Cal State Northridge were high school baseball coaches from around the state.

They were in town for one clinic and unwittingly attended another--a hitting symposium conducted by the visitors.

For the second day in a row, the Matadors battered a half-dozen Grand Canyon pitchers, winning this time, 12-2.

Northridge, which collected 13 hits in an 11-2 win in its opener Friday, had 14 Saturday. Antelope pitchers hit three batters and contributed 12 walks to fuel the fire.

Craig Clayton and Greg Shockey, the first two batters in CSUN’s order, had seven hits and six runs batted in. Shockey, who was four for four with a walk, has reached base safely in nine of 10 plate appearances this season.

Shockey, a left-handed hitter, stroked his biggest hit to the opposite field. His two-run double that landed only a few feet inside the left-field line capped a four-run third inning as Northridge took command, 7-1.

That was all CSUN starter Kenny Kendrena needed. After a shaky first inning in which he gave up two hits, including a solo home run to Casey Rush, the junior right-hander settled down and allowed only two more hits over the next five innings.

Grand Canyon’s other run was unearned. It came in the third inning and was set up by the first of three fielding errors by Matador shortstop Mike Solar.

Twice Kendrena pitched out of trouble by coaxing ground-ball double plays to end innings.

Kendrena went six innings, allowed four hits and two walks and struck out five. Mike Teron pitched the seventh and eighth innings for Northridge, giving up one hit and striking out three. Marty Kilian pitched a scoreless ninth for the Matadors.

“They all pitched pretty well,” Coach Bill Kernen said. “The only element we didn’t do well today is play defense. We hit the ball and got good pitching, but we can’t depend on just one or two parts of the equation.”

Rush’s first-inning home run gave Grand Canyon a 1-0 advantage, but Northridge took the lead for good in the second, batting around and scoring three times off Antelope starter Byron Browne, a 6-foot-7 right-hander.

The Matadors scored four more in the third inning and another in the fourth to chase the hard-throwing junior. Browne left having allowed eight runs--five earned--on six hits and nine walks over four innings. Five relievers followed in a composite lackluster mound performance.

Northridge received most of its offensive output from the top and bottom of its order. Scott Richardson, Kyle Washington and Mike Sims, the last three batters in the order, combined for five hits and were on base in 11 of their 17 plate appearances.

Sims, whose .246 average last season was the lowest among Matador starters, was two for three with a sacrifice fly and two runs batted in.

“I had to do something,” he said. “Yesterday I didn’t get to join in on the hit parade.”

After only two games, just about everyone now has.