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Northridge Beaten by Hit and Run, 4-1

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TIMES STAFF WRITER

Jay Parks walked into the parking lot at the University of San Diego carrying a large plastic bag filled with ice.

He had good reason. Three of them, actually: Ankle, instep and lower leg.

Parks was hit three times by Cal State Northridge pitchers and scored two runs to lead San Diego to a 4-1 victory over the Matadors in a nonconference game Friday at Cunningham Field.

Parks, a second baseman who bats ninth, has been hit six times in two games. Northridge right-hander John Najar (1-1) plugged him in the second and third innings and Parks scored each time.

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“It hurts,” Parks said. “It’s not something I’m trying to do, necessarily.”

Northridge (6-2) was held to four hits by left-hander Travis Burgus, who struck out one, walked one and threw a mere 105 pitches.

Of the four singles, only a liner to right by Chad Thornhill was well-hit. Burgus (1-0) retired the side in order six times in a game that lasted 1 hour 53 minutes.

Northridge has nine hits in its last two games, both losses, and its batting average has slipped to .290.

“We’ve really been up and down,” Northridge Coach Bill Kernen said. “We’ve had days when we played hard and days where we played like it was recess at elementary school.”

Najar (1-1) allowed five singles and four runs--one earned--over six innings. He contributed a throwing error in the third inning as San Diego scored twice to take a 2-1 lead.

San Diego (1-1) added two unearned runs in the third when Dave Romero topped a two-out single into left field on an 0-and-2 curveball.

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Northridge’s last stand came in the eighth, with one out and runners at first and third. Eric Gillespie lined out to left and Grant Hohman tagged up at third, but he was shot down at the plate by left fielder Brady Clark.

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