Cal Lutheran Hitting the Wall at Wrong Time

Once thrilled merely at scheduling two games against Division I Cal State Northridge, Cal Lutheran now desperately needs a victory over the Matadors today in its regular-season finale.

Anything to halt a slide that threatens to keep the Kingsmen out of a Division III regional that a week ago seemed to be a lock.

Jose Vasquez and Tim Baron combined to hand the Kingsmen their fourth loss in a row, 5-1, Saturday at Northridge. Cal Lutheran, with a .366 average, managed only six hits, and three times had runners picked off or caught trying to steal.

The Kingsmen (24-11), Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champions, hope to slip into the four-team West Regional that begins May 14.

A selection committee considers eight criteria, including how well a team plays down the stretch. Chapman defeated Cal Lutheran twice last week and is the favorite from California to join at least two conference champions from Texas.

That leaves Cal Lutheran on the bubble for the final spot.

“We’ve played our toughest opponents at the end of the season,” Coach Marty Slimak said. “I still think we’ll get in the regional.”

Streaking in a positive direction are Vasquez and Northridge third baseman Kevin Patrick.

Vasquez (9-5) won his sixth consecutive start, a stretch of 39 innings during which his earned-run average is 2.45.

Patrick stretched his hitting streak to 15 games with a two-run single in the third inning and a double in the eighth.

An RBI single by Adrian Mendoza and a walk by Chris MacMillan followed Patrick’s double, chasing freshman Tom Canale (3-3), who has emerged as a consistent starter on an injury-riddled staff.

Erik Kiszczak, a junior who won 20 games the last two seasons, is out with a muscle tear in his elbow and left-hander Rich Igou (4-2), a transfer from San Francisco who atttended Notre Dame High, has a tired arm.

Cal Lutheran scored in the ninth on Donny Churchman’s sacrifice fly. Baron got the last two outs for his third save.

Although Northridge (32-19) has won 20 of 22, a regional berth is a longshot. The Matadors’ nine victories non-Division I opponents and their lack of conference affiliation are strikes against them.

Nakia Hill of Northridge had three hits to give him 88. With five games remaining, he could become the fifth Matador to reach 100 hits in a season. Eric Horvat hit his eighth home run.