Northridge Wins Two, Now Needs to Win Two More

TAYLOR, Mich. — The loser’s bracket is a long and winding road to get to the championship as Northridge found out Friday in the Junior World Series.

The California representatives swept a pair of games on the final day of consolation play and must win two again today against South Lake Charles, La., to win the title.

Northridge (21-3) first defeated Hermosillo, Mexico, 7-3, then beat LaSalle, Canada, 18-0.

Against Mexico (14-2), Northridge scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning as three different pitchers made appearances.

Starter Randy Imada threw two hitless innings, followed by Spencer Gordon (1-1), who allowed three hits, two earned runs and struck out six in four innings to earn the victory.

Nathaniel Dunlap pitched the seventh for Northridge, allowing two hits but no runs.

With the score tied, 3-3, in the seventh, Northridge struck for the go-ahead run when Gordon singled to left with two out, scoring Matt Fisher.

After an error loaded the bases, Peter Tuber drilled a single to center field to make it 6-3.

A wild pitch to Matt Cunningham brought in Matt Cassel with the final run.

“That rally was really big,” Northridge Manager Tim Cunningham said. “It ended that game and pumped us up.”

Against LaSalle (16-2), Northridge batted around in the top of the first, collecting five hits and three runs. Gordon and Cunningham had RBI singles, and a fielder’s choice off the bat of Cassel brought in the third run of the inning.

David Teraoka’s third-inning single scored a run and upped the Northridge lead to 4-0. A six-run fourth that included four singles and an error was followed by eight more runs in the fifth as the game was called due to the 10-run rule.

Dunlap (9-0) was Northridge’s only pitcher in the second game. He allowed two hits and struck out five.

South Lake Charles, which defeated Northridge in the first game of the series, 3-0, and is the only remaining undefeated team, needs to win only once today to claim the championship.