Matadors Sink Against Pacific

As the conga line of pitchers sped up for Cal State Northridge, the Matadors’ postseason chances slowed significantly.

In a game they needed to win, the Matadors were far too generous in a 12-4 loss Friday to Pacific, the last-place team in the Big West Conference.

The Matadors (27-20, 5-8 in conference play) hoped to gain ground on the conference front-runners but remained in fifth place, a bad place to be because four Big West teams at most will be selected to the NCAA playoffs.

The conference’s top four teams--Cal State Fullerton, UC Santa Barbara, Long Beach State and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo--play each other the next three weeks, providing a glimmer of hope for the Matadors.

The Matadors stymied Pacific by a combined score of 25-7 in a three-game sweep in March.

The Matadors allowed four runs in the first inning, the big blow being a three-run home run by Andrew Coleman with two outs.

Northridge answered in its half of the first with a three-run home run by Eric Verbryke but was silent after that, failing to get a hit in five of the next six innings.

“We didn’t come out with an edge like we should have,” Verbryke said. “Every ballgame we’ve got to come out fighting.”

Instead, Pacific (21-26, 2-11) came out like a brawler, forcing the Matadors to use five pitchers in the first six innings and chasing starter Andy Davidson (6-4) after one inning.

Pacific finished with 14 hits, five coming in a five-run fourth inning.

D.J. Houlton (7-5) struck out 10, walked none and allowed eight hits in his third complete game of the season.

Not surprisingly, the Tigers’ five-game losing streak vanished.

“What’s that cliche--good pitching beats good hitting?” Pacific Coach Quincy Noble said. “He did a good job.”

The Matadors’ task might be easier to define than execute.

They need to win their last five games--today and Sunday against Pacific, and May 11-13 at Cal State Sacramento--and one of the top four teams needs a losing streak.

Northridge would need help from the NCAA selection committee, which will either take three or four teams from the conference, which is ranked No. 2 nationally in conference power rankings.

“We’re sitting in a good situation right here, we’ve just got to take advantage of it,” Verbryke said. “Every game’s critical.”

Northridge Coach Mike Batesole sat quietly in the dugout after the game.

“It makes every one of the rest of these games extra important for everybody,” he said. “We just didn’t go out there and get the job done today.”