CSUN Loses Game After Reversal of Disputed Call : Baseball: A home-plate collision sparks a melee that is repeated when an umpire’s ruling is overturned.

Moments after a benches-clearing melee in the bottom of the ninth inning Sunday, another erupted when umpires reversed a decision on a collision play at home plate that led to the first one.

When all was said and done--and there was plenty--U.S. International’s baseball team tiptoed away 4-3 winners over 15th-ranked Cal State Northridge.

“Probably the worst call I’ve seen in my life,” said CSUN catcher Mike Sims, who was ultimately ruled to have bobbled the ball after USIU’s Travis Hopper smashed into him, attempting to score the winning run from first base on a double with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning.

“I had control of the ball ever since it was thrown to me (by shortstop Mike Solar, who made a perfect relay with a long throw from short center field),” Sims added. “The home plate umpire (Robert Francischiello) knew (Hopper) was out. I don’t know why (Francischiello) asked for help.”

Said Hopper, “(Sims) bobbled it.”

Barreling in, Hopper sent Sims into a backward somersault. A second later, Sims was on his back, clutching the ball with his bare hand and waving it to show Francischiello. But just before Francischiello could give the out sign--which he did--Hopper kicked the ball out of Sims’ hand.

An infuriated Sims leaped to his feet and both benches cleared.

No punches were thrown, but several players had to be restrained.

After about two minutes, USIU Coach George Kachigian asked Francischiello to ask base umpire Matt Miller for assistance on the call.

The reversal gave USIU the victory, and sent CSUN Coach Bill Kernen into a tirade. Kernen pushed one of the umpires but was restrained from further incident by an assistant coach.

It was an extraordinarily controversial ending to what will probably be the last meeting ever between these universities. USIU is discontinuing athletics after the conclusion of the baseball season because of financial problems.

CSUN (33-13-1) had won five in a row this season over USIU (12-31) by a combined 49-10, and the Matadors owned a 23-6-1 all-time advantage.

USIU’s Jeff Matranga (5-7) scattered 10 hits and struck out nine for the victory. CSUN’s Scott Sharts (9-5) yielded 11 hits and struck out eight.

USIU tied the game, 3-3, in the eighth on Mike Murphy’s sixth home run of the year, a bases-empty liner over the left field fence. Darrin Forster gave USIU its first lead in the three-game series with a solo homer in the second inning. Mike Garza, who entered as a pinch-hitter in the seventh, had the game-winning double.