Kendrena Puts CSUN Back on Victory Track

Cal State Northridge’s Ken Kendrena was not nearly as sharp Saturday as he has been in recent outings. But after CSUN’s heartbreaking, 13-inning loss to San Diego State on Friday night, Kendrena was not looking for a masterpiece.

A victory would do just fine. And that’s what he got after scattering 10 hits and striking out six to lift Northridge to a 6-2 victory over San Diego State in the second of three games between the teams this weekend.

CSUN catcher Mike Sims gave Kendrena (8-1) all the breathing room he needed with a three-run double in the third that gave the Matadors a 5-0 lead.

The victory, which followed Northridge’s 10-9 loss Friday, gives the 14th-ranked Matadors a 30-11 record. SDSU drops to 28-10.

Kendrena, a junior right-hander, said his performance didn’t resemble his seven-strikeout, four-hitter against U.S. International last Sunday, but he made enough good pitches at crucial times to be effective. He was also around the plate--walking just two.

“About the third or fourth inning, I realized it wasn’t going to be like my last couple of games, where I’ve just flown through,” Kendrena said. “I realized I was going to have to fight it.

“This kind of game shows you what kind of guy you really are. I don’t think I had the velocity I usually do, but I was able to hit my spots with the fastball.”

Kendrena allowed at least one hit in each of the first six innings, but San Diego State could score single runs in only the fourth and fifth, by which time CSUN had already scored five runs.

CSUN’s Craig Clayton led off the game by depositing a hanging curve over the left-center-field fence. The homer was Clayton’s sixth of the season and extended his hitting streak to 11 games.

In the second, Mike Solar singled and scored on David Prosenko’s single.

The Matadors added three runs in the third when Sims doubled down the third-base line to drive in Scott Sharts, Greg Shockey and Kyle Washington.

In the fourth, San Diego State had three hits, but with one out, Kendrena picked Jason Ledford off first after faking to third.

Marcelino Garcia later scored the only run of the inning when Solar booted a grounder. The Aztecs also ran themselves out of the fifth. Scott Dennison hit a leadoff single but was caught trying to steal second. The victory was Coach Bill Kernen’s 99th in his Northridge career.