Matadors Win Game of Chance

Cal State Northridge can only hope the NCAA tournament selection committee is impressed by finishing with a flourish.

The Matadors defeated UCLA, 12-6, Tuesday night before 702 in a regular-season finale at Jackie Robinson Stadium, putting an exclamation point on their drive for an NCAA tournament berth.

After disposing of the No. 4-ranked Bruins (40-18-1), the Matadors (42-20-1) must wait until berths are announced Monday to learn if they are among the 48 teams in the Division I tournament.

The Matadors won 20 of their last 26 games and are one of only 16 teams with 40 or more victories, although eight came against non-Division I teams.

Erasmo Ramirez (11-5) has all six Northridge victories against ranked opponents, and he dominated the Bruins from the second through the seventh innings while his teammates built an 11-3 lead.

The junior left-hander struck out 12 and walked one, scattering 11 hits and allowing five earned runs in 8 1/3 innings.

“Maybe this will show the committee we can play against the big dogs,” Ramirez said.

Northridge jumped on right-hander Dan Keller for four runs in the first and added two in the second after UCLA answered with two in the bottom of the first.

Terrmel Sledge led off the game with a double, went to third on a single by Cesar Martinez and scored on a sacrifice fly by Adam Kennedy. With two out, Chris MacMillan walked, Clark Parker singled to score Martinez, MacMillan scored on a wild pitch and Parker scored on an error by shortstop Troy Glaus.

Glaus, an All-American expected to be a high first-round draft choice in June, hit a two-run home run, his 31st of the season, in the bottom of the inning.

Keller was no more effective in the second, walking Sledge and giving up consecutive singles to Martinez, Kennedy and Jose Miranda before being lifted.

Kennedy’s hit drove in Sledge and MacMillan greeted left-hander Nick St. George with a fly ball to right that scored Martinez and made the score 6-2.

Kennedy’s RBIs in the first and second gave him 97 this season, breaking the Northridge record of 96 set last season by Robert Fick. Kennedy’s two-run single in the sixth made it 8-2.

St. George, who had pitched only 12 innings all season, tired in the sixth and Northridge struck for five runs on two hits.

Ryan Hurd led off with a single, Sledge walked, and Cesar Martinez walked against St. George’s replacement, Gabe Crecion, a freshman from Chaminade High. Kennedy singled, and Miranda and MacMillan walked to bring on right-hander Matt Klein.

Grounders by Dan Pierce and Adrian Mendoza scored Kennedy and Miranda to make it 11-3.

Jose Miranda homered to lead off the eighth, his 25th.

The Bruins scored in the third when Glaus singled to score Jon Heinrichs. Otherwise, Ramirez was strong while his teammates built the lead, striking out nine from the second through the sixth innings.

Heinrichs hit a home run to open the eighth, his 25th, and UCLA scored another run on Kennedy’s second error. Ramirez struck out Chad Matoian with the bases loaded to end the rally.

After Heinrichs hit his second home run and Royce Valent doubled with one out in the ninth, Gary Stephenson replaced Ramirez and got the final two outs.