CSUN Is Routed Twice by Sacramento

As the first batter in the first game sent a routine grounder to the infield, Cal State Sacramento pitcher Mike Eby bounded off the mound . . . and fell flat on his backside.

A harbinger of doom, it wasn’t.

Thereafter, every miscue, misstep and bungle was made by Cal State Northridge, which was buried by Sacramento in both ends of a Western Athletic Conference doubleheader Sunday at Hornet Field.

For the Matadors, it was a double header, all right. Northridge was toppled in the opener, 17-6, and fell just as hard in the nightcap, 13-3.

The Sacramento offense, which had 33 hits, pulled no punches--and neither did Northridge Coach Bill Kernen.

“It’s the worst day in the history of the program,” Kernen said. “If we’ve ever lost two games in the same day before, you can bet it wasn’t like this.”

In fact, it marked the first time in Kernen’s seven-year tenure that Northridge was swept in a doubleheader.

Sacramento (13-11, 3-3 in WAC play) completed a three-game sweep. After hammering Northridge in the morning game Sunday, Sacramento jumped to a 10-0 lead in the second.

Of the eight pitchers Northridge (13-11, 0-3) used during the day, all but one gave up at least one run. Right-handers John Najar and Keven Kempton, both of whom missed part of last year with arm injuries, were shelled quickly and convincingly.

Najar (3-2) gave up seven earned runs in 2 2/3 innings in the opener and Kempton (1-2) gave up nine earned runs in three innings in the second.

Eby, a senior from Westlake High, allowed five runs in seven innings in the opener and improved to 4-3. Willie Rivera (3-1), a senior from Burbank High, won the second.