Restless Sharts Makes Amends in CSUN Win

Scott Sharts could not sleep the night preceding Cal State Northridge’s 8-2 baseball win over Nevada Las Vegas on Saturday. But the insomnia was understandable.

The Northridge pitcher endured a nightmare on the mound Friday night. His teammates gave him a 9-0 lead against UNLV and Sharts proceeded to give up 10 runs. The Matadors lost, 12-11.

“All night, every time I shut my eyes, all I could think about is the way I pitched,” Sharts said. “I told myself I was going to do whatever I can here today to try to top it with something positive.”

So when Sharts stepped to the plate against UNLV on Saturday with two men on in the fifth inning and his team leading, 3-1, he was not thinking bunt. Sharts crushed the first pitch over the left-field wall for a three-run home run and the Matadors went on to hammer the Rebels.

Sharts went into a slow walk, a crawl really, and admired his shot as it disappeared over the ivy-covered fence at Barnson Field.

“I was so into the game,” said Sharts, who played first base Saturday. “I’ll do that kind of stuff just to keep me into it. I don’t care if it ticks them off. That’s fine. If they want to throw at me, I don’t care.”

But Sharts’ pay-back blast--his third homer of the season and 32nd in his career at CSUN--and the Matadors’ win, which moved their record to 4-1, could not quite erase the memory of the Friday night debacle.

“We still don’t have yesterday’s (game) back,” Coach Bill Kernen told his team afterward.

However, the big victory did show that the Matadors can bounce back after an emotional loss.

“I think it takes a certain amount of character to play a quality game after you have a big disappointment like that,” Kernen said. “That’s what we talked about before the game. It’s a challenge. You get disappointed, you have one get away, and you go through some real tough emotions.”

UNLV (1-1) jumped on top in the first inning on a solo home run by right fielder Tim Johnson. But Northridge responded with three runs in the second. The key hit was Eric Johnson’s two-run triple.

Northridge held its lead this time behind the pitching of Ken Kendrena, who went all the way. He gave up two earned runs on seven hits, three walks and registered an impressive 12 strikeouts.

After the first inning, Kendrena shut out UNLV until the ninth. The Rebels threatened in the fifth when Kendrena issued a pair of walks, but the right-hander got out of the inning with a double play.

“I think Kendrena was the difference,” Kernen said. “He kept the thing under control. Everyone wasn’t just blasting balls all over the park. That was a real key, because we didn’t get on much of a roll on offense. We had a couple of key hits.”

Kendrena, who pitched at Cypress College last season, came through when the Matadors needed a strong pitching performance the most.

“We did one of the things a championship team just cannot do,” Kendrena said.

“You give up a lead, especially a 9-0 lead, and the feeling is obviously not a good one. But we came back today geared up.”

There was no person happier about the win than Sharts. It was a great relief, but not a remedy.

“I’m never going to forget that game (Friday),” Sharts said. “It’s always going to be in my mind. It’s something that’s not going to happen to me again. I’ll bet my life on it.”

At least now he can get some sleep.