Northridge Disposes of Arizona for 4th Win in a Row : College baseball: Eggert’s strong pitching effort backed by 11-hit outburst in 8-4 victory.

The pitching for Cal State Northridge’s series with Arizona has been up in the air, partly because of the team’s three-game weekend sweep of Cal State Fullerton.

CSUN Coach Bill Kernen eventually handed the ball to left-hander Dave Eggert for the opener, and Kernen wasn’t disappointed. Making only his second start of the season, Eggert allowed just a pair of earned runs in six innings as Northridge beat Arizona, 8-4, Tuesday in Tucson, Ariz.

It marked the fourth victory in a row for the Matadors (10-4), who evened their overall record against the Wildcats at 3-3.

Eggert (2-1), a junior, worked his longest stint of the season, allowing four runs on five hits, striking out three and walking two. Eggert entered the game with an earned-run average of 5.06 in 10 2/3 innings and was winless since defeating Grand Canyon University on Jan. 27.

After Eggert yielded a leadoff walk in the seventh, Todd Denhart came on to pitch the final three innings and earn his second save. Denhart allowed three hits, struck out three and walked one.

With the score tied, 1-1, Northridge scored five runs with two out in the top of the sixth. With one out, Denny Vigo and Eric Johnson singled. After another out, Vigo scored as Scott Richardson reached base on an infield error.

Mike Sims singled home Johnson to chase Arizona starter Barry Johnson (2-3), a senior right-hander. Reliever Carlos Rico then surrendered a run-scoring single to Andy Hodgins and a two-run triple by Craig Clayton that gave Northridge a decisive 6-1 lead.

Arizona responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning, but CSUN added insurance runs in the seventh and ninth to put the game away.

Clayton extended his hitting streak to five games and teammate Greg Shockey extended his to six.

Richardson was two for five and scored two runs and Sims was two for four and drove in a run for Northridge.

Sims, a sophomore catcher from Alemany High, raised his batting average to .367.

Every starter had at least one hit for Northridge, which had 11 overall.

The series will conclude today with a 2:30 p.m. game. Senior left-hander Matt Figueroa (2-1, 3.46 ERA) is expected to start for Arizona (9-8). Northridge has not announced a starting pitcher.