Hernandez 6-Hitter Leads CSUN to 4-0 Win

As his team struggled through the preseason, Cal State Northridge baseball Coach Terry Craven patiently looked for a leader to emerge from the dugout.

His search ended Friday afternoon as the Matadors opened their California Collegiate Athletic Assn. schedule with a 4-0 victory at Cal State Dominguez Hills.

Sophomore pitcher Jeremy Hernandez provided at least a temporary answer for what the Matadors had been lacking, allowing six hits in nine innings to even his record at 2-2.

Northridge improved its record to 6-6. CS Dominguez Hills is 11-5-1.

“The thing we’ve been looking for is someone to create something everyone else could rally behind,” Craven said. “Jeremy got us going today.”

It was the second straight impressive outing for Hernandez. Last Friday, he allowed five hits and an unearned run in a 1-0 loss to Pepperdine.

Against Dominguez Hills, Hernandez allowed only one runner to reach third base. He struck out four--all in the final three innings--and walked two.

Most of the time, Hernandez was just blowing smoke.

“I probably only threw four or five pitches that weren’t fastballs,” said Hernandez, who threw a rare curve in striking out Craig Drebeck to end the game. “I had good movement on the fastball, and I stayed with it. I wanted to force them to hit it, and they never hit it that hard.”

Northridge didn’t exactly tear the cover off the ball either, but bunched seven of its 10 hits into two innings to produce all of its runs.

Craven offered no excuses.

“Some of those were truly seeing-eye hits,” he said. “But the way we had been hitting the ball hard and making outs recently, you take what you can get.”

The Matadors chased starter Brian Ayers (3-1) for the winning run in the first inning. Designated hitter John Balfanz got the decisive hit with the last of three singles in the inning, scoring center fielder Todd Mustin.

Good execution earned Northridge three insurance runs in the seventh. Second baseman Jimmy Mitchell led off with his third hit off Ayers, and went to third when Mustin faked a bunt and slashed a single through the left side of the infield.

Gary Williams’ sacrifice fly brought Mitchell home. Mark Anderson then singled to score Mustin, and Chris Pinsak came around when the Toros committed their only error of the day.

Hernandez stranded five runners over the final three innings to seal it for Northridge.

“Over the last four games, we’ve really come together as a team,” Hernandez said.

With 29 more conference games to be played, Craven sees room for improvement.

“There were still a few holes,” he said. “We still did things to open the door for them. But the effort by Hernandez and the others picked up for that.”

Notes

Northridge resumes conference play today at Chapman in a noon doubleheader. Dan Gonzalez and John LaRosa are the probable starters. . . . The Matadors return home Tuesday to play Cal Poly San Luis Obispo at 2:30 p.m. . . . CSUN pitching has allowed only three earned runs in the last 35 innings.