Mistake-plagued Northridge Suffers First Loss

Depending on who you talked to after the Cal State Northridge baseball team’s 12-9 loss to UC Santa Barbara on Tuesday at Matador Field, either the Matadors gave the game away or the Gauchos took it.

More likely, it was a little bit of both.

“I think there were a lot of right things for both clubs,” Northridge Coach Mike Batesole said. “You had two teams playing aggressive baseball for nine innings.”

But Matador shortstop Adam Kennedy, who fouled out with the bases loaded to end the game, said: “There’s no reason we should have lost to this team. They aren’t better than us. We just didn’t play well from the first pitch.”

Northridge left-handed pitcher Erasmo Ramirez (1-1), who gave up nine runs in four innings to end his 10-game winning streak, agreed with Batesole.

“I’m not going to take anything away from them,” Ramirez said. “They came out and swung the bats and I didn’t adjust.”

Ramirez, who was 14-1 last season and a third-team preseason All-American this year, gave up 12 hits, including three in row to start the fifth, before he was pulled.

The last hit was an example of Northridge’s poor defense. Santa Barbara designated hitter Justin Balser, a former El Camino Real High standout, bunted in front of the plate. Ramirez fielded the ball, but his throw hit Balser in the back.

Besides the misplays that were ruled hits--third baseman Jose Miranda allowed a bad-hop grounder to go through his legs--Northridge made three errors.

“I just feel bad for [Ramirez] and the other pitchers who had to deal with it,” Kennedy said.

Still, Northridge (5-1) had a chance to extend its winning streak in the bottom of the ninth.

After trailing, 9-2, in the fifth and, 12-6, in the sixth, the Matadors scored a run in the bottom of the sixth on Miranda’s two-out double, a run in the eighth on Kennedy’s fifth homer of the season and a run in the ninth on Casey Cheshire’s second homer, pulling to within 12-9.

After two outs, Brian Wagner walked, Mike McNeely reached base on an error and Andy Wilson walked, loading the bases for Kennedy.

With darkness nearing at 5:40 p.m., Kennedy lifted a routine popup that first baseman David Willis grabbed in front of the Gaucho dugout.

“I’m not going to use [the darkness] as an excuse,” Kennedy said. “I just probably swung at a ball.”

Said Batesole: “If we play catch and don’t walk five guys, the darkness isn’t a problem.”

Matador Notes

Benito Flores (2-0, 0.00 earned-run average in 12 innings) will pitch for the Matadors at 2 p.m. today against UCLA (6-0) at Northridge. Gabe Crecion, a freshman from Chaminade High, will start for the Bruins, making his college debut. . . . Northridge’s four home runs Tuesday--Miranda and Ryan Hurd hit the other two--give the team 20 in six games.