Northridge Pays Left-Handed Compliment

Asked about Santa Clara left-hander Brian Carmody early this week, Cal State Northridge Coach Mike Batesole replied, “Who?”

Following Carmody’s brilliant performance in Santa Clara’s 2-1 victory Friday night before 630 at Buck Shaw Stadium, Batesole amended his opinion to “Whew!”

Carmody (10-3), a junior, allowed only three singles, striking out eight and walking four in eight-plus innings to lower his earned-run average to 1.79. He did not allow a hit until the seventh.

“That kid threw a great game,” Batesole said.

The Matadors loaded the bases with none out in the ninth against Carmody, but right-hander Tobin Lanzetta struck out David Stevenson and got Cesar Martinez to hit into a double play.

Northridge (47-16) must defeat Santa Clara (40-20) twice today to gain an automatic berth in next week’s NCAA Division I regionals.

Northridge scored an unearned run in the seventh on single by Martinez with two out, only the second Matador hit. However, Santa Clara bounced back with two in the bottom of the inning against Robert Crabtree, who pitched a complete game, striking out seven.

A soft single into short right field by Jeff Frankel with two out scored Paul Chiaffredo and Bill Mott, the Broncos’ eighth and ninth batters. Chiaffredo’s single to start the rally was a slow ground ball to third base that Grant Hohman fielded tentatively and did not make a throw.

Hohman had moved to third from first before the inning because third baseman Eric Gillespie was ejected moments earlier for barreling over Chiaffredo, the Bronco catcher, while trying to score on a bunt by Jose Miranda.

“The ejection was a good call,” said Batesole, who was tossed himself for arguing a call on the bases in the eighth.

Although the Matadors are 15-5 against left-handed pitchers, they have been vulnerable recently. Left-handers Paul Ah Yat of Hawaii, Scott Navarro of Fresno State and Greg Winkelman of San Diego State have beaten Northridge in the past five weeks, but none polished them off as efficiently as Carmody.

“That’s the kind of pitcher who can give anyone problems,” Batesole said.

The Matadors’ only runner in the first four innings was Robert Fick, who walked in the first and was hit by a pitch in the fourth. Jose Miranda led off the fifth with a walk but did not advance past first base.

Crabtree (13-7) pitched out of a bases loaded jam in the second by striking out Chiaffredo and getting Mott to fly to left. The Broncos stranded nine runners.

Gillespie’s single to open the seventh, the RBI single by Martinez and a bunt single by Casey Cheshier in the ninth were all the Matadors could muster a week after scoring 61 runs on 61 hits in three games against Brigham Young.