19 Strikeouts by Clayton Help CSUN to 6-1 Victory

So now the question becomes, which streak is next?

Already this season Craig Clayton, Cal State Northridge’s King of Swing and King of the Hill, has crafted a hitting streak of 21 games and has gone 28 consecutive innings as a pitcher without allowing an earned run.

U. S. International managed to push over an earned run in the fourth inning of Friday’s nonconference baseball game at Northridge to end Clayton’s skein of blanks, but otherwise the Gulls seemed downright gullible, losing, 6-1, and striking out 19 times against the Matador right-hander.

Dare it even be mentioned that the victory was Clayton’s sixth in a row?

Unfortunately, because of spotty bookkeeping, Northridge officials are not sure where the hitting streak, the pitching streak or even the strikeout total land in the school’s fairly illustrious baseball annals. Clayton’s statistics so far this season would seem to be ones for the books, should they ever be compiled.

In running his record to 8-2, Clayton lowered his ever-shrinking earned-run average to 1.44. He has 91 strikeouts and 26 walks in 81 1/3 innings.

Against USIU, the junior from Anaheim reduced Northridge’s defense to a game of catch between himself and catcher Mike Sims.

“That makes it a little easier on us on defense,” Coach Bill Kernen said of Clayton’s career-high strikeout total. “If Sims catches the ball, we’re OK.”

That much was made clear early. Clayton struck out the first three batters on 11 pitches total.

Surprising? Not exactly. Clayton said he dreamed Thursday night that he would strike out the first nine in a row. “I thought, ‘Wow, this is really gonna happen!’ ” he said.

Not quite. Darrin Forster led off USIU’s half of the second inning with a single. Still, Clayton did come back to strike out six in a row in the sixth and seventh innings.

The Gulls (11-24) managed just four hits--all singles--but remained in the game until Northridge scored three times in the sixth and two more in the seventh.

As usual, Clayton, Northridge’s top hitter with a .394 batting average, chipped in on the offensive end. He singled and scored in the sixth, singled in a run in the seventh and finished three for four with a walk. His only out was a line shot that was flagged by Forster, the first baseman.

“He’s ready whenever and wherever you need him,” Kernen said. “You could tell that today. Three hits and 19 strikeouts, yeah, that’s a pretty good game.”

Mike Solar added a single and a run-scoring double and every Northridge starter reached base as the Matadors (26-10-1) rapped out 11 hits. USIU’s only run came in the fourth on a single and three walks.

“I wanted to keep that alive,” Clayton said of his innings without allowing an earned run, “but I got out of the zone. I guess all good streaks come to an end.”

Or, if you happen to be Craig Clayton, they simply begin again.