CSUN Takes a Walk in the Dark Before Losing, 7-5

Faced with a key three-game road series this weekend at Fresno State--the first two of which are under the lights--Cal State Northridge took another walk on the dark side Tuesday night.

Like a moth, Northridge hung around long enough to make a major pest of itself before being shooed off by USC, 7-5, in a nonconference game at Dedeaux Field.

Northridge, winless in three night games, came back from a five-run deficit, but couldn’t hold off 16th-ranked USC’s counterpunching.

After Northridge (18-15) scored four times in the sixth to pull even, 5-5, USC (23-15) added single runs in the sixth and seventh off freshman left-hander Benny Flores (0-1) to pull away.

The Matadors had some shots. In the eighth, Chad Thornhill and Josh Smaler singled to open the inning off reliever Javier Mejia, but Kevin Milligan grounded into a double play and Adam Kennedy grounded to short.

Milligan was nicked on a back-hand sweep tag by first baseman Greg Walbridge for the second out.

“When you see the first baseman come off the bag, you’ve got to get down,” Northridge Coach Bill Kernen said. “You have to hit the dirt.”

Jason Garner, a senior right-hander, pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his eighth save. Robert Fick led off the ninth with a bunt single, but Northridge didn’t cash it in.

Northridge also had a runner thrown out at the plate in the fourth by All-American right fielder Geoff Jenkins.

Much of the damage was done by Trojan sophomore catcher Chad Moeller. Moeller hit a two-run homer in the second off Northridge starter Evan Howland and added a run-scoring single in the sixth to give USC a 6-5 lead.

USC starter Ben Tucker allowed one run on two hits over four scheduled innings before he was removed.

Flores, in his longest and most effective outing, allowed two runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings. He entered the game with an earned-run average of 11.57, highest on the Northridge staff.

“Benny kept us in it,” Kernen said. “It’s the best outing he’s ever had. We need more efforts like that.”

Northridge trailed, 5-1, when the USC bullpen briefly came apart at the seams. With runners at first and second and one out, reliever Scott Henderson was summoned and walked Thornhill on five pitches to load the bases. He then walked pinch-hitter Smaler on four pitches to force in a run.

Justin Parle (1-1) relieved Henderson and Kevin Milligan, pinch hitting, sent a sharp grounder to second. However, Ernie Diaz dove in the hole and failed to glove the ball, which rolled into short right field. Diaz was charged with an error and two runs scored to cut the lead to 5-4.

Freshman outfielder Adam Kennedy, who earlier extended his hitting streak to 15 games, tied the game with a groundout to short.