With Vasey’s Help, Fullerton Walks All Over Northridge, 13-1 : College baseball: Wildness grips Matador right-hander, who throws a wild pitch, issues four bases on balls and commits an error in 1 2/3 innings.

It wasn’t so much the hitters that Cal State Northridge right-hander Brian Vasey faced that killed him as much as the ones he didn’t.

At least in an official, funky, statistical sense.

Vasey, who started Wednesday night’s game with Cal State Fullerton, was eaten alive by a handful of hitters who didn’t record at-bats.

Their impact, however, was very real as the Titans routed Northridge, 13-1, in a nonconference game at Titan Field.

Vasey (1-2) lasted only 1 2/3 innings before being chased. In that time, he allowed only two hits, but was done in by his own hand.

Of the 12 batters Vasey officially faced, only four had official at-bats. Simply put, Vasey couldn’t throw the ball between the backstop poles: He walked four batters and threw a wild pitch. He also served up a pair of sacrifice flies and a sacrifice bunt and was victimized by two errors, including one of his own.

By the time Northridge (24-26) escaped the second inning, Fullerton (36-10) already had claimed a 7-0 lead on only two hits.

“I’ve never been that bad,” Vasey said. “I’ve been wild before at times, but nothing like that.”

Vasey might have known it wasn’t his night in the bottom of the first, when Northridge--which has seen its share of strange things on the field--again was burned by a head-shaker. With All-American outfielder Dante Powell on third and one out, Powell bolted for home on a steal attempt. And why not? He ranked among the national NCAA Division I leaders with 36 entering the game.

Northridge catcher Eric Gillespie, who played with Powell at Millikan High in Long Beach, jumped out from behind the plate, grabbed Vasey’s pitch and slapped the tag on Powell in plenty of time. Trouble was, Gillespie was in the batter’s box when he caught the ball and was called for a catcher’s balk. Powell was credited with the run.

Before the first inning was complete, Fullerton had a 2-0 lead without so much as a hit.

“I couldn’t get in the groove,” said Vasey, who threw 170 pitches in a game against San Diego State last Friday. “I felt like I was ready. Maybe there was a little bit of fatigue, I don’t know.”

Fullerton, ranked third nationally by Baseball America, essentially put the game away in the second, when Vasey gave up a booming two-run double to starting pitcher Mark Kotsay.

Marco Contreras relieved with Kotsay at second and Fullerton holding a 6-0 lead.

Kotsay moved to third on a wild pitch and scored when Gillespie fired the ball into left field.

Fullerton used four pitchers to put the clamps on the Matadors. Left-hander Kotsay (2-0), a freshman, pitched two scoreless innings and was credited with the victory.

The foursome held Northridge to seven hits--three after the third inning.

Four Northridge pitchers walked 11 over eight innings and gave up 14 hits.