Northridge Muscles Past Pomona, 15-7

A day after nearly blowing a four-run lead and escaping with a one-run victory over Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State Northridge buried the Broncos, 15-7, Friday at Matador Field.

The Matadors used four home runs, including a three-run shot with none out in the first inning by Robert Fick, in their biggest scoring outburst of the season. Northridge (8-1) scored in every inning but the third and eighth.

Eric Gillespie, who reached base five times, belted a two-run homer in the fourth, giving Northridge a 6-0 lead. The Matadors scored two more runs in the fifth, and Kurt Airoso hit a grand slam in the sixth. Two batters later, Cesar Martinez hit a solo homer to make the score 13-1.

Jason Cole (1-0), making his first start, allowed one run in six innings and exited with a 12-run lead.

Cole’s effort was as encouraging as the offensive fireworks because the Matadors continue to hold auditions for starters behind Robert Crabtree and Erasmo Ramirez.

“I felt like if I did well in this start, I’d get to pitch more,” said Cole, a junior transfer from El Camino College who pitched sparingly in the fall because of shoulder tendinitis. After walking the first batter on four pitches, Cole faced the minimum number of batters before allowing two hits and a run in the sixth.

“The key was he threw a lot of strikes,” Coach Mike Batesole said. “We’ve built our whole pitching plan on throwing strikes and letting the defense play catch.”

The defense wasn’t air-tight, however. Northridge equaled a season high with four errors, including three in the eighth when Pomona (2-3) scored six runs off of reliever Brandon Nickens.

Robert Ballester, a curve-ball specialist, pitched out of the eighth and struck out the side in the ninth.

In addition to the home runs, Northridge continued to run aggressively, stealing four bases for the third game in a row. Martinez stole second and third, and Kennedy and Jeremy Conrad each stole second.

The Matadors have stole 19 bases in 22 attempts. The team stole only 40 last season.

The two-game sweep of the Division II Broncos was not unexpected but was done without using either Crabtree or Ramirez. It also might have marked the end of Gillespie’s slump.

Gillespie, who hit .355 last season, entered the series batting .185. After going four for seven with five walks and four runs batted in, his average is .264.

“This is what I should be doing every day,” he said. “It’s nice to break out a little bit.”