CS Northridge Opens Series With 3-1 Win : College baseball: Clayton pitches fourth complete-game victory in a row, but his 21-game hitting streak is snapped.

Craig Clayton lost one streak but kept another alive Friday night in Cal State Northridge’s 3-1 nonconference baseball victory over host UC Irvine.

As a pitcher, Clayton stretched his winning streak to four with a complete-game performance. As a batter, his 21-game hitting string was snapped. But he’ll take the win.

Denny Vigo snapped a 1-1 tie in the ninth inning with a two-run single as the Matadors improved to 21-9-1.

Clayton (6-2) did not allow an earned run, struck out nine, walked two and gave up five hits in the first game of a three-game weekend series with Irvine. He has pitched complete games in his four most recent starts.

The junior right-hander dropped his earned-run average to 1.76 but he was not as effective during a zero-for-four performance in which he struck out, grounded out, lined out and reached on an error.

Northridge struggled at the plate early and had only one hit entering the seventh inning. Scott Richardson led off the seventh with a double and Greg Shockey singled one batter later to put runners at first and third with one out.

However, Northridge failed to score and the game remained scoreless.

Vigo led off the Northridge eighth with a single, and Andy Hodgins sacrificed him to second. Mike Sims reached on an error by Irvine shortstop Al Rodriguez, and Vigo advanced to third. Vigo scored when second baseman Joe Furukama bobbled Clayton’s one-out ground ball.

Irvine (13-14) tied the score, 1-1, with an unearned run in the eighth. An errant throw by Richardson with two out allowed Ray Walker to reach second on a two-base error. On the next play, Richardson had another throwing error, allowing Walker to score.

For the second consecutive game, though, Northridge won in the ninth. Northridge beat Hartford, 7-6, Thursday when Mike Solar hit a home run, and Solar also had a hand in this rally.

Shockey led off the ninth with a single and moved to second on Solar’s single. Kyle Washington advanced the runners to second and third with a sacrifice bunt.

Vigo followed with a line single to left field that scored Solar and Shockey with the decisive runs. Vigo, who had been slumping with a .179 batting average, had two hits to improve his average to .192.

Shockey also had two hits, and Scott Sharts was one for four with a double. Sharts, the Northridge career home run leader, has not hit a home run since a game against Virginia Tech on March 11.

Irvine’s Chris Huber (4-4) pitched a complete game but took the loss.

The teams will meet at Northridge today at 1 p.m. The series Sunday at Irvine with a 1 p.m. game.