Northridge Assaulted With Battery

NORTHRIDGE — The Great Bat Caper ended with shrugged shoulders and everyone pretending nothing was amiss.

Did Cal State Northridge not use its new Louisville Sluggers because they aren’t insured or because San Diego refused to play unless the bats stayed in their rack.

Did the four bats made by another manufacturer that the Matadors borrowed from San Diego remain in the Northridge clubhouse for 20 minutes after San Diego’s 10-3 victory Tuesday because of an oversight or because Coach Mike Batesole was sending a message to his Torero counterpart, Rich Hill?

Said Batesole: “We don’t have indemnification from Louisville and we thought it was coming today, but it didn’t. [San Diego] said they were going to get on the bus and go home if we used them.

“But the bats had absolutely nothing to do with the outcome. They outplayed us. I didn’t know [Hill] was waiting for the bats. I was in [the clubhouse] pouting because we lost.”

Said Hill, tongue in cheek: “The issue is bigger than all of us. It’s in lawyers’ hands.”

Why Northridge would want to keep bats that started three double plays and generated only single runs in the third, fourth and seventh innings is a mystery.

Certainly, San Diego designated hitter Marty Hayes was comfortable with his bat. He opened the scoring with a home run in the second inning, singled and scored in the five-run third, doubled and scored in the fourth and singled in the seventh and in the ninth.

Catcher Tony Betancourt hit a two-run home run in the third and first baseman Kevin Reese homered to lead off the fourth, when San Diego (1-0) extended its lead to 8-1.

Northridge (4-3) couldn’t put together a big inning, scoring in the third when J.T. Stotts singled and later scored on a passed ball, in the fourth on Kevin Patrick’s first home run, and in the seventh on consecutive singles with none out by Mike Bumstead, Eric Horvat and Daryl Grant.

Double plays in the third and seventh short-circuited rallies. The second double play, on a ground ball to second base by Patrick, came on a disputed call.

But Northridge offered no excuses for lack of clutch hitting and giving up a five-run inning early.

In the San Diego third, Stotts, the Northridge shortstop, couldn’t handle a ground ball to his backhand and Bumstead dropped a fly ball in right field, turning what should have been a one-run inning into a disaster.

“They didn’t make an error and we threw thigh-high pitches and didn’t make the plays we should have,” Batesole said.

Grant, the Northridge starter, has been shelled in both of his appearances. He allowed seven runs, including three home runs, to San Diego and gave up 10 runs, seven earned, in two innings against San Francisco.

Batesole said Northridge should get insurance on its bats by the time a five-game homestand begins Friday against Southern Utah.

But there is no guarantee the hitting woes will be cured.

“It’s not the bow and arrow, it’s the Indian,” Batesole said.