Northridge Survives Own Mistakes, 9-5

Cal State Northridge Coach Terry Craven won’t write a book or produce a video entitled “The Matador Way To Play Baseball” based on the way his team played Tuesday against Cal State Dominguez Hills. Not that the Toros played any better.

The Matadors committed three errors, left 10 men on base, had a runner get caught in a rundown twice in the same inning and had another picked off second base.

It was not a pretty sight on the Dominguez field, but Northridge still managed to win, 9-5, in a California Collegiate Athletic Assn. game.

“It was the most unemotional game between Cal State Northridge and Cal State Dominguez Hills,” Craven said. “We made a zillion mistakes. We didn’t execute pickoff plays. We missed signs . . . We left guys in scoring position that we shouldn’t have. We were not mentally in the game.”

Still, Northridge (20-10, 7-3 in CCAA) pushed past Dominguez (21-9, 6-3) into second place.

The pitching of starter John LaRosa (2-1) and reliever Jeremy Hernandez and the hitting of Tim Rapp keyed the victory.

LaRosa, who normally supplies bullpen and comic relief, made his first start of the season, providing much-needed rest to an overworked pitching staff. LaRosa’s tailing fastball kept Dominguez Hills quiet for six innings before he tired and was lifted in the seventh. He gave up four runs on five hits and six walks. Hernandez allowed one unearned run in the final 2 innings.

When asked about LaRosa’s fastball, which behaves like a screwball, Craven responded: “LaRosa is just plain screwy. I don’t know if he throws a screwball.”

“I just like to have a good time, at least until I get on the hill,” LaRosa said in his own defense.

Northridge scored a run in the third inning on a balk and another in the fifth on Jim Vatcher’s run-scoring single before the game turned into a Rapp session.

Rapp, who was 4 for 4, had a three-run double in the seventh, which gave the Matadors a 5-1 lead. His RBI single and Scott Stewart’s two-run double highlighted a four-run ninth as Northridge opened a comfortable margin.