Late Uprising Enables CSUN to Salvage Split

Any bettor who has been down to his last few bucks before hitting a jackpot can relate to the escape made Saturday by the Cal State Northridge baseball team.

Shut out for seven innings by Nevada Las Vegas right-hander T.J. Mathews, Northridge struck for six runs in the eighth inning en route to a 6-4 win to salvage a split of a doubleheader at Barson Field.

Kyle Washington struck the big blow for 18th-ranked Northridge, accounting for the Matadors’ final three runs with his third home run of the season.

“We didn’t do anything the first seven innings,” Washington said. “We were way too quiet. It was like we weren’t battling at all.”

Despite Washington’s heroics, the Matadors still only broke even. UNLV won the first game, 6-5, in 11 innings, snapping a nine-game Northridge winning streak.

The victory was the 15th in 19 games for UNLV (18-10). For Northridge (19-6-1), it was only the second loss in 21 games.

Northridge’s second-game victory went to David Eggert, his third without a loss. Eggert, a left-hander, scattered nine hits in a complete-game effort. But his wild throw to third almost derailed his solid pitching effort.

Eggert pitched to the minimum number of batters through three innings, but the Rebels scored three runs in the fourth--two without hitting the ball out of the infield.

UNLV’s runs came on two infield singles, a two-base error on Eggert on a comebacker, an infield out and a sacrifice fly.

The Rebels increased their advantage in the fifth when Steve Biermann doubled, scoring M.J. Mariani to make the score 4-0.

Meanwhile, Mathews was cruising--until his defense betrayed him in the eighth.

Northridge’s runs all came with two out. Scott Richardson started the rally with a single up the middle. He moved to second when Mathews walked Andy Hodgins.

A throwing error allowed Richardson to score and Hodgins and Shepard to take an extra base. Scott Mowl followed with a single to left to drive in two runs, pulling the Matadors within a run. Greg Shockey followed with another single, bringing Danny Falcone out of the Rebel bullpen.

Falcone faced one batter--Washington, who drilled his third pitch over the left-field fence.

“You could kind of see that one coming,” Kernen said of Washington’s homer. “He kept coming back to the dugout saying, ‘Geez, I’m right on that.’ ”

In the first game, CSUN scored two runs in the ninth to force extra innings. CSUN’s Kenny Kendrena (5-4), who gave up 14 hits and threw 156 pitches in a complete-game effort, pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the 10th. However, UNLV scored in the 11th on a hit batter, a single and a sacrifice fly.

Hodgins, Mike Solar and Denny Vigo each had three hits in the first game.