Extra Effort Gives Victory to Northridge : College baseball: Matadors fall behind, 8-0, in first, but rally to beat Pepperdine in 10 innings, 10-9.

In its greatest comeback of the season, Cal State Northridge rallied from an eight-run, first-inning deficit to beat defending NCAA champion Pepperdine, 10-9, in 10 innings Tuesday at Matador Field.

With two out and Andy Hodgins on first with a single, Joey Arnold drove in the winning run with a triple to right-center field.

Marco Contreras relieved Keven Kempton with none out in the first inning and pitched 10 innings on two days’ rest in the Matadors’ last chance to impress the NCAA committee that will confer at-large berths to the 48-team NCAA tournament on Monday.

Kempton, who completed his first 12 starts of the season, was knocked out early for the second time in as many starts. Soreness in his right (throwing) elbow limited his effectiveness.

The West Coast Conference champion Waves (40-15) reached him for two doubles, two singles and a walk and were leading, 4-0, when he was lifted for Contreras, who threw 131 pitches in a complete game victory over Fresno State on Saturday.

Contreras came in with two on and gave up a run-scoring single, a walk, a bases-loaded walk, and a one-out, two-run single before getting the last two outs of the inning.

As he came off the field, Contreras told Kempton, his roommate, that he would win it for him.

Northridge (34-18) chipped away at Pepperdine’s lead while Contreras worked into a commanding groove despite having no idea how long he could last.

“I didn’t think I could go 10,” he said. “But I was pumped up to be in there and mad at myself for not stopping them in the first inning.”

His teammates made it a little easier with a three-run third inning, courtesy of two errors, singles by Jason Shanahan and David Prosenko and a two-out, two-run single by Chris Olsen. The Matadors scored one run in the fourth, fifth, and sixth, but left four men on base, including two with one out in the fourth. Contreras (7-4) sailed into the seventh where he allowed one run and got out of a bases-loaded jam with an inning-ending double play.

Pepperdine stranded two in the eighth when shortstop Hodgins turned an inning-ending double play. Contreras retired the last six Waves.

“I actually felt stronger in the ninth and 10th,” said Contreras who threw 134 pitches.

Northridge Coach Bill Kernen, who is not given to exaggeration, said: “He put in the gutsiest performance of his life and one of the best we’ve seen around here in a long time.”

His teammates made it pay off with a three-run eighth that tied the score, 9-9. With one out, Greg Shepard singled and the Waves removed left-handed reliever Mauricio Estavil for right-handed submariner Adam Housley. Olsen singled and Andy Small drew a walk to load the bases.

Shepard scored on Mike Sims’ groundout, and Olsen and Small scored on a sharply hit grounder by Hodgins that skipped through the legs of third baseman Mark Wasikowski.

In the 10th, Hodgins’ two-out single extended his hitting streak to 14 games.

Arnold, who noticed a Pepperdine coach repositioning center fielder Erik Martinez in left-center, was expecting an outside pitch. Instead, it came down the middle and he ripped it to right center to drive in Hodgins.

Arnold, who went three for four and saved a home run with a leaping catch at the center-field wall in the ninth, is confident that the victory sewed up a spot in the tournament.

“I think if we don’t get it, it’ll be a crime,” he said.

Apparently, Kernen won’t have to worry about his players easing up in upcoming practices because of doubts that they are in.

Moments after the 3-hour 40-minute game, one of them was already swinging in the batting cage.

Matador Notes

Mike Sims’ hitting streak came to an end at 19 games. . . . It was the last home game for seniors Sims, Andy Hodgins, Greg Shepard, Andy Small, Chris Olsen, David Prosenko and Steven Morales. . . . Contreras was ready to pitch the 11th, but would have had to bat for the first time all season. Remembering an anecdote from Coach Bill Kernen’s pitching days, he told Kernen he would hit a home run, a feat Kernen performed to win an extra-inning game.