Clayton, CSUN Answer Bell, Flatten USIU

After spending part of the week at home in bed because of bronchitis, there was some question as to whether Craig Clayton would be strong enough to play Friday when Cal State Northridge opened a three-game baseball series with U.S. International University.

Those doubts vanished after one pitch as Clayton smashed the game’s first offering over the left-center-field fence to set the tone for an eventual 10-1 Matador victory.

And despite the lingering effects of his illness, Clayton (10-2) also pitched a four-hitter and struck out nine to win his eighth decision in a row.

Northridge (32-12-1) entered the game in a minor road slump, having lost three of its past five games away from Matador Field. Northridge has lost just once in 15 games at home this season but is 18-11 on the road.

“It’s much more difficult to play on the road than at home,” CSUN Coach Bill Kernen said. “But it makes things a little easier when the first pitch of the game sails out of the park.”

Clayton’s eighth home run started senior left-hander Mike Whisonant of USIU on the way to his 30th career loss, one short of the NCAA record set by Ball State’s Mike Shebek from 1985-88.

“It was a breaking ball,” Clayton said. “I saw it well and was just trying to drive it. It felt real good off the bat. When I hit it, I knew it was gone.”

In the second inning, Mike Solar added a two-run home run, his third homer of the year, to make it 3-0.

After that, the Matadors flirted with a couple of team records, collecting seven doubles (the record is eight) and 33 total bases (40). But by stranding 10 runners and having three thrown out at the plate, they managed to keep USIU in the game until the seventh inning.

That’s when Whisonant (1-10) tired and the Gulls’ bullpen floundered. As a result, the Matadors collected seven runs and nine of their 20 hits. Seven of the first nine Matadors to bat in the inning got hits, another was hit by a pitch and the other had a sacrifice fly.

Clayton (two for four), Scott Sharts (three for five, two runs batted in), Greg Shockey (four for five, one RBI) and Solar (two for five, three RBIs) each had a double in the inning and Scott Richardson (three for five) and Sharts each had two hits as CSUN sent 12 batters to the plate.

USIU, which has lost four in a row to CSUN by a combined score of 38-8, fell to 11-29.