CSUN Makes Noise, Upsets USC, 12-10 : Baseball: Matadors end 13-game winning streak of fifth-ranked Trojans.

Presented with the opportunity to pop off--and there’s been precious little to crow about this season--Cal State Northridge Coach Bill Kernen took the humility route.

He missed a great opportunity.

Northridge on Wednesday beat nationally ranked USC for the second time in three meetings, this from the same team that’s been treading water around the .500 plateau for weeks.

So, coach, maybe Northridge needs to play USC every day?

“Can’t say that, “ Kernen said, a grin creasing his face. “We’ve got to play them again someday.”

If every day was like this, Northridge would be a serious noisemaker.

The Matadors scored four runs in the seventh inning to pull out a 12-10 victory over the fifth-ranked Trojans at Matador Field, ending USC’s 13-game winning streak.

Northridge (24-22) also defeated USC (33-16) in the Trojans’ season opener, when they were ranked fourth in the nation. Go figure.

“When we step on the field with SC or Fullerton, we play pretty well,” said shortstop Chad Thornhill, who drove in two runs. “I don’t know why we’re not like that against lesser teams.”

Since beating USC the first time, Northridge had lost eight consecutive games to teams ranked nationally in NCAA Division I or II.

It could easily have been nine.

USC blew three leads and the Matadors survived a white-knuckle rally in the eighth to hang on. The Trojans already had scored twice in the inning to cut Northridge’s lead to 11-10 when All-American outfielder Geoff Jenkins came to bat with a runner at first.

Jenkins, who earlier had doubled and clubbed his 18th homer, hit a screaming foul ball about 450 feet down the right-field line, then flied out to the warning track in deep left-center.

“The guy can really play,” Kernen said. “He’s one of those guys you talk about how to pitch, and you end up trying something different every time.”

Northridge reliever Juan Velazquez tried something different too--he closed the door. Velazquez, who blew a save opportunity Sunday, pitched a scoreless 1 2/3 innings, earning his team-high second save.

Despite another mediocre effort from its middle-relief corps, Northridge didn’t cave in. Robert Fick’s two-run single sparked a three-run spurt in the fourth as Northridge took a 7-6 lead. Fick finished with four runs batted in.

There was plenty of ebb and flow to come. On the first pitch thrown by reliever Aaron D’Aoust (3-0) in the seventh, Jenkins doubled home two runs for an 8-7 Trojan lead. However, Grant Hohman, Thornhill and Adam Kennedy each had run-scoring singles as the Matadors answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning.

When D’Aoust ran into trouble during USC’s two-run rally in the eighth, Velazquez bailed him out. Andy Shaw hit his 13th homer with the bases empty in the bottom of the eighth for a two-run lead.

“That’s the best we’ve played in a long, long time,” Kernen said.

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Matador Notes

Eric Cole, a third baseman from Antelope Valley College, signed a letter of intent with Northridge. Whether he will ever play in a Matador uniform is another question. Cole is batting .360 with seven home runs, but could sign with the Kansas City Royals, who took him as a draft-and-follow selection last June.

“The question with him is the draft,” Coach Bill Kernen said. “He’s been drafted before and he probably will be again. He’s had a great year.”

Junior right-hander Zeke Barrios, who was 3-0, has been kicked off the team. Barrios was suspended several weeks ago for failing to run three miles in under 21 minutes, a team requirement. Kernen said Barrios hasn’t been seen in weeks. “One of the things I promised myself and the team after last year is that I wouldn’t put up with that kind of nonsense,” Kernen said.

Northridge freshman outfielder Adam Kennedy had two hits. He has hit safely in 26 of the last 28 games. . . . USC pitchers walked a season-high nine batters and hit another.