Gorman Delivers for Matadors in 10th

For all the dueling between pitchers Friday, Ryan Brown of Cal State Sacramento threw only four pitches against Cal State Northridge.

Brown’s final offering, a fastball to Jason Gorman, resulted in a towering, 10th-inning solo home run to left field that lifted Northridge to a 3-2 victory at Matador Field.

Brown (0-1) replaced starter Chad Elliot, who waged a nine-inning struggle against Northridge right-hander Mike Frick. The teams’ battle extended to extra innings with the score tied, 2-2.

Northridge (2-3) held leads of 1-0 and 2-1 while Frick struck out 10 and scattered seven hits through 9 2/3 innings. After throwing 105 pitches, Frick gave way to left-hander Andy Davidson (1-0) in the 10th. Davidson struck out Andy Weber to end the inning.

“The [number of] innings don’t mean anything,” said Coach Mike Batesole of Northridge. “We thought [Frick] would have 110 pitches into the sixth inning. It was obvious he hit a wall at the end.”

Gorman hit Brown’s pitch over the left-field wall for his first home run of the season. Gorman hit three home runs last season.

“Their first pitcher, we should have gotten to him,” Gorman said. “But he kept the ball down pretty well. [Brown] pretty much threw me fastballs.”

Designated hitter Aaron McKenzie also homered for Northridge, leading off the second inning with his first of the season to give the Matadors a 1-0 lead. McKenzie had two of Northridge’s seven hits.

Home runs by McKenzie and Gorman accounted for both of the Matadors’ extra-base hits.

With the score tied, 1-1, in the fifth, Gorman drew a one-out, bases-loaded walk that forced home Adrian Mendoza. Tim Arroyo then grounded into a double play.

Sacramento (1-1) pulled even in the fourth on a home run by Casey Martinez and in the seventh on a two-out double by Mike Butler that drove in Jimmy McFarland.

Frick, a sophomore right-hander from Buena High, allowed five runs in five innings in his season debut last week against Nevada. He was sharper against Sacramento.

“I was kind of disappointed with my last outing,” Frick said. “I just wanted to come back today and establish something. Actually, I kind of surprised myself, going into the 10th inning this early in the season.”

Elliot, a senior left-hander, struck out six and walked five. He escaped a jam in the third with two out and runners at second and third by retiring Arroyo on a ground ball.

In the Northridge eighth, Elliot retired Mike Bumstead and Eric Horvat after the Matadors placed runners at first and second.

In the third, Frick allowed a leadoff double to McFarland but struck out Jesse Krebs to end the inning with runners at first and third.