Northridge Tears Up Its Old Record Book With a Whopping 29-2 Win

If there was a book that ranked the competitiveness of every college baseball game ever played, Thursday’s nonconference game between Cal State Northridge and Whittier College would probably be on the last page.

It was a mismatch of extreme proportions. Ever seen someone try to battle a brush fire with a lawn hose? In the place of the guy with the hose, substitute the Whittier pitching staff.

Northridge won, 29-2, and yes, the game was baseball.

It was the Matadors’ sixth win against one loss and it made the list of single game school records in the team’s new media guide already obsolete.

Northridge started by scoring 11 runs in the first inning, which tied a record. The Matadors’ total of 29 runs broke the previous record of 25 which had stood for 10 years. The 27-run margin of victory was also a new standard, breaking a 22-year old record of 24 runs.

And, finally, CSUN and Whittier combined for 15 errors (Whittier won that contest, 8-7), breaking a 25-year old record of 14.

Northridge Coach Terry Craven was less than pleased with his team’s overall performance, but happy there was no letdown after consecutive victories over highly regarded Arizona State early this week.

“It wasn’t very pretty,” Craven said. “We didn’t play a great game, but at least we scored a lot of runs.”

The Matadors certainly did that--often times without the benefit of many hits.

Northridge scored more runs than it had hits in an inning five times, including an eighth inning outburst of seven runs on only two hits.

CSUN actually trailed, 1-0, after one-half inning, but when the Matadors came to bat the stampede immediately started. The first nine Northridge hitters all reached base safely.

First Baseman Dick Jaquez had the two big hits in the inning, good for four runs batted in. His two-run double to right gave CSUN a 3-1 lead and in his second trip to the plate he blasted a two-run homer to right.

Jaquez finished the game with four hits, two walks and five runs batted in in seven appearances at the plate. And he only starts half the time.

In fact, Craven’s starting lineup for the game hardly resembled Northridge’s No. 1 starting team.

Of the regulars only right fielder Mark Ban played his usual position. Darryl Gilliam (two hits and four RBIs) started, but in left field, not second base. Gary Williams, who is battling Matt MacArthur for the job as the team’s No. 1 shortstop, was at shortstop.

On the mound, Craven started freshman John LaRosa, who was making his first collegiate appearance.

LaRosa went five innings, allowing one unearned run on only two hits. He struck out two and walked two.

Jeremy Hernandez, another freshman, went the final four innings, allowing only one hit--a home run to Whittier’s Mitch Laubaugh.

“We played a lot of players who don’t normally start and we got a chance to look at two good young pitchers who could help us out later in the season,” Craven said. “I was a little worried that on such a windy day strange things might happen and we might have ourselves a tough one. Most of the time in games like this, both teams score a lot of runs.”

Perhaps Craven was wishing his team saved a few for today when the Matadors will be out to avenge their only loss of the season against Cal State Long Beach.

The 49ers beat Northridge, 12-4, last week.

“We made six errors in one inning and they scored six runs,” Craven said. “Against them, we’re going with our best lineup.”