USC’s Best Shot Flattens Northridge

For Morgan Ensberg, one swing beat four days in Hawaii.

It also beat Cal State Northridge, dissolving smiles on the faces of Matador players who were two outs from a victory against No. 3-ranked USC.

Ensberg’s two-run home run in the ninth ended a four-hour game and gave the Trojans a 9-8 victory Wednesday at Dedeaux Field.

The blast also obscured so much that was so positive for 19th-ranked Northridge (9-4-1).

It rendered meaningless Jose Miranda’s three-run home run in the seventh, Brian Wagner’s home run that snapped a 7-7 tie in the eighth, first baseman Adrian Mendoza’s two hits and glove wizardry, and capable performances by several Matador pitchers.

“That’s what Division I baseball is all about, two teams playing hard and beating the snot out of each other for nine innings,” Northridge Coach Mike Batesole said.

The Trojans (13-3) hoped for an easier time, having flown in from Hawaii late Tuesday night after playing five games in four days.

“We probably weren’t smart to schedule this game on this day, but a lot of our guys hope to play pro ball and they’ll have to get used to this kind of thing,” USC Coach Mike Gillespie said.

Both teams stuck to pregame plans of using several pitchers in the midweek game, and one change in particular burned Northridge.

Nathan Rice replaced the third Matador pitcher, Erasmo Ramirez, to begin the seventh with Northridge leading, 6-2.

Ramirez allowed an unearned run in 2 1/3 innings, but Batesole stuck to his plan.

For two batters.

Rice threw nine pitches, walking Jeff DePippo and Greg Hanoian, the Trojans’s eighth- and ninth-place hitters, causing Batesole to kick the dugout in disgust. Rice was replaced by Jason Cole, who was scheduled to pitch only the ninth.

Before Cole could retire the side, USC, which had 14 singles before Ensberg’s homer, scored four runs on four hits to tie the score.

“This was an important game, but we have to keep the whole season in perspective,” said Batesole, who pointed out that Ramirez threw 130 pitches on Friday.

“We threw all of our best guys, and [the walks] aren’t supposed to happen to them.”

Rice was nearly redeemed when Wagner, the Matadors’ catcher and No. 9 batter, homered with one out in the eighth against Mike Weibling (2-0), USC’s fourth pitcher.

Cole (2-2) retired the side in the bottom of the inning and Mendoza made a diving stab of a ground ball down the first-base line for the first out in the ninth. It was the freshman from Royal High’s third excellent play.

But Eric Munson singled to right, and Cole went to a full count against Ensberg.

“I was keeping the ball down, moving it in and out, but the pitch he hit was right over the plate,” Cole said.

Northridge had 12 hits, including two by Miranda, Mendoza, Adam Kennedy and Andy Wilson.

Freshman left fielder Terrmel Sledge doubled, and senior second baseman Cesar Martinez singled and hit a sacrifice fly.

Starter Benny Flores allowed one run in two innings, and Gary Stephenson gave up none in 1 2/3 innings.

“This game made it clear to us, not that we needed any convincing, that Northridge once again is an absolutely legitimate team, a playoff team,” Gillespie said.