COLLEGE BASEBALL ROUNDUP : Chapman Beats No. 11 Northridge

Chapman, showing that its move to NCAA Division I baseball might be more than cosmetic, rallied to defeat Cal State Northridge, 9-8, Saturday in a nonconference game at Hart Park in Orange.

The Matadors, ranked 11th in the nation and coming off a season-opening loss to NAIA Christ College Irvine, figured to be fired up for their game against the former California Collegiate Athletic Assn. rival.

The Matadors also had won their past six games against Chapman, including five in 1990, the last season the teams played together in the CCAA.

Northridge moved to Division I last season and came within three outs of advancing to the College World Series. Saturday, six returning position players and All-American pitcher Kenny Kendrena faced the Panthers, who are in their first Division I season after finishing last in the CCAA last season.

But after struggling the first few innings, Chapman (4-1), down by four runs, looked as if it was the more experienced team, scoring seven runs in its last four at-bats and throwing out two runners at home plate.

The hero was a somewhat unlikely one: Chris Briones, a freshman from Brea-Olinda High School. Briones, a catcher playing designated hitter, entered the game batting .250 with no extra-base hits. In his first two at-bats, he struck out against Kendrena, who was 12-2 with a 2.75 earned-run average last season.

“He looked real bad,” Chapman Coach Mike Weathers said. “I think he finally found out what a college slider is all about.”

But in his third at-bat in the sixth inning, Briones fouled off a couple of pitches, working the count to 3 and 2 before trying the score, 6-6, with a two-run home run,

Then, with Chapman trailing, 8-7, in the eighth, Briones hit an RBI double down the third-base line. Steven Morales replaced Kendrena, and Mike Giuseffi’s chopper off the plate scored Cliff Anderson with the winning run.

Chapman ace Pete Coleman had a rocky outing, allowing eight runs on 12 hits in seven innings. Steven Aviles (2-0) allowed no runs on two hits in the final three innings.

Chapman, which defeated No. 5 Cal State Long Beach Tuesday, is scheduled to play No. 4 Pepperdine today at Malibu.

In other nonconference baseball:

Stanford 4-3, Cal State Fullerton 2-8--D.C. Olsen’s two-run sixth inning single broke a tie and gave the Titans a second-game victory and a split of their doubleheader at Stanford.

Frank Herman broke up Jason Moore’s (1-1) bid for a no-hitter with a double, and Steve Sisco followed with his first home run.

Dan Nauly (1-0) pitched a two-hitter as Fullerton improved to 1-2.

In the first game, Steve Keels’ first-inning two-run double keyed a three-run inning for the Cardinal.

Cal State San Bernardino 3, Southern California College 2--Rueben Montano led off the bottom of the ninth with a homer off Matt Imus to give the Coyotes (2-2) the victory.

The Vanguards (1-2) had tied the game in the top of the ninth when Sean Maharg singled in Frank Howell.

Montano also had an RBI single in the third and pitched two innings of three-hit relief to pick up the victory.

Doug Rystrom’s second home run of the season, with the bases empty in the sixth, cut San Bernardino’s lead to 2-1.