Kennedy Playing Like an Old Hand : Baseball: CSUN freshman has four hits, key assist in Matadors’ 12-10 victory over Hawaii.

Adam Kennedy grew up in Riverside playing ball against older kids in the neighborhood. Now he plays against geezers in Northridge.

The freshman outfielder had four hits and sealed a victory with a game-ending assist as Cal State Northridge hung on to beat Hawaii, 12-10, in a wild Western Athletic Conference game at Matador Field.

More days like this and the 19-year-old is going to have gray hair, if he has any hair at all.

“The kids I played with were always older,” Kennedy said. “Wiffle ball, basketball, baseball, all the sports.”

He covered all the bases Saturday--particularly second. In the top of the ninth inning, Kennedy might have saved the game with his arm when he gunned down the potential tying run at second for the final out.

With two out, Hawaii trailed, 12-9, and had runners at second and third. Leadoff man Jason Ross, who already had three hits, poked a liner down the line in left.

“I didn’t care about the (runner scoring from) second,” said Kennedy, a converted shortstop. “I just couldn’t let (Ross) get in scoring position.”

Ross, inexplicably, didn’t slow after rounding first. He was out by 10 feet.

Said Northridge Coach Bill Kernen, practically struck dumb by Ross’ crucial decision: “Wow!”

Maybe it’s because Ross plays football in the fall. Either way, Kennedy figured Ross might attempt to make an aggressive play.

“I would have went for it if I was him,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy’s assist saved the game for reliever Juan Velazquez, who held on despite yielding four hits in the ninth. Kennedy also saved Velazquez an earned run--Hawaii’s Reed Souza failed to score from second before Ross was nailed and his run was disallowed.

“I was just hoping for some help,” Velazquez said. “Everything I threw was getting hit.”

Hawaii (18-14, 3-9 in the WAC) held a 7-6 lead in the sixth when Velazquez (1-0) relieved starter Keven Kempton and escaped a bases-loaded jam with a 1-2-3 double play. It was a huge defensive stand for the Matadors, who swept the three-game series and kept Hawaii winless in nine games at Northridge.

Northridge (16-11, 3-3) scored five runs in the sixth on two hits. The game turned on an error when cleanup hitter Jason Shanahan sent a two-out grounder to short with the bases loaded. Jamie Ahu threw wildly to first and two runs scored for an 11-7 lead.

“Without help, I don’t know if we get it done,” Kernen said.

Kennedy recorded his sixth multi-hit effort in seven games. Eight starters had at least one hit and seven scored.