Eight Is Not Enough for Contreras, CS Northridge : College baseball: Matadors stake veteran pitcher to 4-2 lead but he lets it get away during a five-run sixth that helps Cal Poly SLO to 9-8 opening victory.

Instant replay, it wasn’t.

Marco Contreras didn’t allow an earned run during the month of February during the 1993 Cal State Northridge baseball season.

In Friday’s season opener, he didn’t escape the first inning without getting dinged for a run. Nowhere to go but up, right?

Not exactly.

Before it was over, Contreras was charged with eight earned runs as Northridge fell to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in a wild nonconference game, 9-8.

Contreras, a senior right-hander who expected to fare considerably better, spoke to the team afterward and apologized for his disappointing effort.

“Write this down,” said Contreras, who went the distance. “I’ll never give up nine runs again.”

In a complete 180-degree turn, it was the pitching that struggled and the offense that almost carried the day. The Matadors, expected to scratch and claw for run production, came up with 11 hits--including five for extra bases.

“I was encouraged by the way we swung the bats,” Northridge Coach Bill Kernen said. “And I was encouraged by the feel of the overall effort.”

Northridge almost felt what it’s like to steal a victory in the final at-bat. Trailing, 9-5, entering the ninth, the Matadors made it uncomfortable for San Luis Obispo, which will be joining Northridge in the Western Athletic Conference West Division next spring.

Joey Arnold started the ninth with a walk and consecutive doubles by Jonathan Campbell and Keyaan Cook brought Northridge to within 9-7. Cook, a senior second baseman, had three hits and four runs batted in.

With one out, Cook scored on a groundout by freshman catcher Eric Gillespie, (two hits, two RBIs) which emptied the bases.

There was one instant replay to come, though. Third baseman Tyler Nelson sent a ringing double to the gap visited moments earlier by Campbell and Cook to keep the rally alive.

However, side-arming right-hander Kevin Hannigan, who entered the game to face Cook, retired outfielder Josh Smaler on a pop fly to second and recorded the save.

Contreras, after attempting to explain what happened on the mound, dished out more than a few attaboys to the regulars, who definitely held up their end of the deal.

“I told the team not to change anything,” Contreras said. “I said, ‘Don’t try to do anything more. You did a helluva job.’ ”

Contreras’ self-analysis was not as laudatory. In particular, he could not explain his travails in the sixth inning, when he had little success recording the last out.

Northridge staked Contreras to a 4-2 lead entering the bottom of the sixth, and the way the pitcher was rolling, it appeared the margin would hold up. Contreras had retired 10 batters in a row when he issued a two-out walk to former Westlake High standout Rob Neal--on four pitches.

It only got worse, and fast. The next six batters also reached base--two more on walks--and Contreras looked like a man who had lost his car keys.

The only thing being driven home were lots of San Luis Obispo runs.

“It was brutal,” he said. “Two outs, nobody on, and I walked (Neal)? That won’t happen again.”

Matt Priess, a freshman catcher from Brea, capped the inning with a two-run double down the line in left. San Luis Obispo sent 10 batters to the plate and took a 7-4 lead.

Kernen didn’t exactly pull his punches when he spoke to Contreras afterward.

“The whole effort of the team went out the window because (Contreras) let his guard down with two out and nobody on,” Kernen said.

“The third out isn’t the least important out of the inning, it’s the most important.”