Pepperdine Can’t Silence Hohman as Northridge Wins, 8-2

On a team full of potent hitters, Grant Hohman is often taken for granted.

The senior infielder says little, plays wherever he is asked, and usually bats fourth or fifth in the Cal State Northridge lineup, following sluggers Adam Kennedy, Eric Gillespie and Robert Fick.

Hohman had three hits and drove in a run in the Matadors’ 8-2 victory over Pepperdine in a nonconference game Tuesday at Eddie D. Field Stadium. He doubled and played flawlessly at third base, his third position this week.

That he has a broken bone in his mouth, sustained when he was hit by a pitch last weekend against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, is a mere annoyance. Hohman, the strong, silent type, lets his performance do the talking anyway.

“He is the toughest college player I’ve ever been around,” Coach Mike Batesole said. “He got hit flush in the face and he hasn’t even flinched.”

Last season, Hohman played more than two months with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

He played second base then, opened this season at first, moved back to second when Cesar Martinez slumped, and plays third when Fick gets a break from catcher and is spelled by regular third baseman Gillespie.

Hohman played shortstop at Harbor College and Westchester High.

“I always like second base, but it doesn’t really matter where I am,” Hohman said with a shrug. “As long as I get in my hacks.”

Hohman’s hacks would make him the star hitter on many teams. He is batting .303 with 10 home runs and 43 runs batted in. He singled and scored in the fourth inning, doubled and scored in the sixth and drove in a run with a single in the seventh to give Northridge (35-7) an 8-0 lead.

The Waves (25-15) managed only two hits until the ninth inning when they scored two runs on three hits.

Northridge center fielder Kurt Airoso made eight putouts, chasing down drive after drive in Pepperdine’s large park.

Northridge banged out 12 hits, including doubles by Kennedy, Airoso and Jose Miranda in addition to Hohman.

“It was no big deal for us,” Hohman said. “We always play well against them.”

Notes

Pepperdine freshman Ryan Moskau had a large contingent of his former Sabrina, Ariz., High, teammates and coaches rooting him on when he took the mound in the eighth for his first appearance of the season. Sabrina is in Southern California playing in the Big West tournament in Irvine. Moskau, a left-hander, was the Waves’ most effective pitcher, shutting out Northridge in the eighth and ninth innings. . . . Northridge designated hitter David Stevenson, a senior from Chatsworth High, raised his batting average above .300 for the first time by going two for three with a run batted in. Stevenson is batting .313. . . . Northridge freshman outfielder Ryan Hurd had a 13-game hitting streak snapped. He did not start and went hitless in two at-bats, drilling a hard ground ball and a line drive to second base. . . . Pepperdine catcher Dennis Twombley, rated as one of the top 100 professional prospects by Baseball America, continues to struggle at the plate. The junior went hitless in two at-bats and his average dropped to .176.