Northridge Falls Further From Grace : Cal State Dominguez Hills Delivers a 4-Hitter as CSUN Loses Fifth Straight, 6-0

Less than one third through the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. season, this is no time for the Cal State Northridge baseball team to start panicking.

Not yet, anyway.

After watching his team drop its fifth straight game--a 6-0 conference loss at Cal State Dominguez Hills--Matadors Coach Terry Craven said such a time might be drawing near.

“I think we’re at a point right now where if we don’t start to turn things around and make some progress, we’re going to be out of it,” Craven said.

“You’re never out of it until you’re mathematically eliminated, but as far as play and result is concerned, we’re reaching that point now where it’s got to change soon or we’re just going to be playing out the season.”

The loss dropped Northridge’s record to 10-14 overall, 3-5 in conference. The Matadors are four games behind Dominguez Hills (16-8-1, 4-1) in the CCAA.

To Dominguez Hills Coach Andy Lopez, the race is far from over.

“When we lost the first conference game to Northridge, I said it was only one of 30,” he said. “It’s still very early.”

Not for Northridge. The Matadors are losing--and reeling.

After winning the first game of a doubleheader last Saturday at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Northridge lost the other two games of the weekend series. The Matadors lost again Monday at Fresno State and Tuesday at San Jose State.

Returning to conference play Friday, Northridge was never in contention.

Dominguez Hills’ Jim Pena, last season’s pitcher of the year in the CCAA, hurled five perfect innings as the Toros took a 4-0 lead. Pena settled for a four-hit shutout.

He was threatened only once, in the seventh inning, when Northridge loaded the bases with one out on a pair of singles by Gary Williams and Chris Pinsak and a walk by John Balfanz.

Pena (3-1), who struck out nine and walked one, got out of the inning when Mark Anderson and Todd Mustin each popped out.

Lopez said it was Pena’s best effort of the season.

“I’d even go so far as to say that it was the best he’s looked in the last two years,” he said. “He was throwing his breaking ball for strikes early in the game and he had his control. He was impressive.”

For once, Northridge sophomore Jeremy Hernandez was not able to match Pena’s brilliance. After throwing three consecutive conference shutouts, Hernandez (4-4) was victimized by a four-run fourth inning, and gave up two more in the seventh.

“We’ve kind of had Jeremy stop us, as far as losing is concerned,” Craven said. “We’ve been living off him, and today he was not as effective as he’s been.”

As a result, the Matadors know they face a crisis.

“What you say to a team is the same whether you’re winning or losing,” Craven said. “The difference is, when you’re losing games, you say these things and it’s like a chewing-out.

“When you’re winning, players are more likely to take that as a coaching point. Our problem right now is that we’ve basically been in a chewing-out situation for about five straight games--and it gets old.”

Craven said that he hasn’t given up on the season, by any means.

“I still think that our talent is good enough to be winning these games,” he said. “This day right here is not such a big deal if other things have been going well.”

Northridge plays six games in six days next week, five against conference opponents.

Said Craven: “It’s probably the ol’ pivotal week. What happens next week is going to decide, I think, what is going to happen in our season.”

Notes

Kevin Whalen, a senior first baseman out of Crespi High and Pierce College, was not recruited after his sophomore season at Pierce. He has surfaced, however, at Dominguez Hills, where he bats fifth for Coach Andy Lopez. Against Northridge, Whalen singled and doubled in five at-bats.

CS Northridge 0

CS Dominguez Hills 6

CS NORTHRIDGE--Hernandez, Palomarez (7) and McIntyre.

CS DOMINGUEZ HILLS--Pena and Plank.

WP--Pena (3-1); LP-- Hernandez (4-4).