CS Northridge Blows 6-0 Lead, Loses to Minnesota, 7-6

The Minnesota baseball team didn’t know it at the time, but the hole the Golden Gophers dug for themselves on Sunday actually served as a trap.

Cal State Northridge just happened to get caught in it.

Blowing a 6-0 lead, the Matadors (38-16-1) fell to Minnesota, 7-6, Sunday and were eliminated from the NCAA Midwest Regional before 1,500 at Wichita State’s Eck Stadium-Tyler Field.

Northridge’s offense was outhit in each of its three playoff games. The same team that achieved double figures in hits 31 times this season, mustered only 20 hits in three regional contests. There were no home runs and only four extra-base hits--all doubles. The Matadors were outhit, 15-6, by Minnesota.

Northridge built its six-run advantage with two runs in the third, three in the fourth and another run in the fifth.

Minnesota freshman pinch-hitter Mark Vandersall hit a three-run homer off Northridge’s John Bushart in the seventh inning to tie the score, 6-6.

George Behr added an RBI single in the eighth off Jason Van Heerde (0-1) to finish the comeback and the Matadors’ season.

Bushart, a junior left-hander, had stranded runners in scoring position in each of the first four innings before Minnesota (42-20) pushed over its first run.