Vigo Lifts Northridge in 11th, 5-4

Denny Vigo led off the bottom of the 11th inning with a home run to left field, giving Cal State Northridge a 5-4 nonconference victory over Cal State Fullerton on Sunday afternoon before 670 at Matador Field.

Vigo’s second homer of the season broke a one-for-12 slump and made a winner of reliever Todd Denhart (1-0).

It also gave Northridge (9-4) a three-game weekend sweep of the Titans (3-9), who last season advanced to the College World Series.

For a while, it appeared that the Matadors wouldn’t need any heroics from Vigo.

Starter Ken Kendrena entered the ninth with a 4-3 lead. However, Fullerton’s Phil Nevin banged a two-out double down the right-field line to score pinch runner David Ayala and tie the score.

Denhart relieved Kendrena, struck out Steve Sisco to end the ninth, then held off the Titans for two more innings until Vigo could win it.

Nevin, a freshman All-American last season, had five of Fullerton’s 12 hits.

Center fielder Greg Shockey held the Matador offense together. His two-run single to right in the sixth pulled Northridge into a 2-2 tie, and he led off the eighth with a home run to center off Titan reliever Chris Robinson (1-2) for the 4-3 lead. Shockey and Northridge left fielder Craig Clayton finished three for five.

The series marked the first meeting between the schools since Matador Coach Bill Kernen took over in 1989. Before coming to Northridge, Kernen served as an assistant to Fullerton Coach Augie Garrido with the Titans and at Illinois.