COLLEGE BASEBALL : Cal State Northridge Leaps Grand Canyon in Shutout

Scott Sharts turned on the pitching mound at Cal State Northridge Monday and watched the flight of the ball that had just been hit by Grand Canyon University’s Ryan Freeburg, hoping it would land on the other side of the wall in left-center field.

It is a rare occasion that a pitcher would wish for such a thing, but Sharts had good reason. If Freeburg’s hit had stayed in the park, it would have scored George Browning all the way from first.

As it was, Browning had to stop at third as the ball bounced over the wall for a ground-rule double, Sharts pitched out of the jam, and Northridge pushed over a run in the bottom of the ninth inning to win, 1-0.

“Thank God for hard warning tracks,” Sharts said. “That might be the only time in my life I ever hoped a ball would do that.”

Freeburg’s blast was one of only six hits Grand Canyon managed off Sharts, who earned his 10th win (against five losses) with his first shutout of the season.

Sharts was unsure he would be able to pitch until just before game time. He played with a grapefruit-sized welt on his right thigh, sustained Sunday in a collision near first base.

The injury indirectly helped Northridge score the game’s only run.

Sharts led off the ninth with a single to left, but because he was such a liability on the base paths, Northridge Coach Bill Kernen opted to use pinch-runner David Prosenko.

One out later, Prosenko stole second and he scored from there on Andy Hodgins’ two-out single through the left side of the Grand Canyon infield.

Prosenko scored with a head-first dive past Grand Canyon catcher Grant Gunkel. Prosenko’s hand swipe at the plate appeared to miss, but Gunkel was called for obstruction on the play, and the run and the victory were given to Northridge.

Prosenko, who suffered a bloodied lip and nose on the play, emerged from the play dazed and his recollection of the play was still foggy 20 minutes afterward. He said he didn’t remember if he touched plate.

“I remember leading off second and the ball getting hit, that’s about all,” Prosenko said.

Northridge, ranked 12th in the nation, improved to 39-15-1. Grand Canyon fell to 23-37, despite the three-hit pitching of Bart Grubbs.

Grubbs, a senior right-hander, struck out 10, walked three and allowed only a first-inning infield single by Scott Richardson before the ninth.

Matador Notes

Steven Morales, a right-handed pitcher from Cerritos College, has signed a letter of intent with Northridge. Morales, 6-foot-2, 195 pounds, has a record of 8-1 with five saves and a 2.95 earned-run average. In 81 2/3 innings he has 75 strikeouts while allowing only 59 hits and 24 walks. CSUN Coach Bill Kernen considers Morales the top pitcher in the South Coast Conference. He chose Northridge over Arizona State, Cal State Fullerton, Nevada Las Vegas and San Jose State, among others. . . . Ken Kendrena will be the Matadors’ starting pitcher today against Pepperdine in Malibu. Kendrena (11-1, 2.36 ERA) has won his last 10 decisions, the last a two-hitter against Cal State Sacramento. . . . The eight sites for the NCAA baseball regionals were announced Monday. They are: USC, Fresno State, Florida, Florida State, Louisiana State, Maine, Texas and Wichita State.