Northridge hands UH 4th loss in row
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
Cal State Northridge out-did Hawai'i in all phases of the game in a 4-3 win last night as the Rainbows remain 0 for 4 in '04.
The worst UH start since 1973, when the Rainbows went 0-5, was witnessed by 1,061 at Les Murakami Stadium.
The Matadors (3-1) recorded their third consecutive win behind the three-hit pitching of starter Peter Eberhardt (1-1), two UH errors that accounted for two unearned runs and a 10-hit attack, the fourth double-digit outing against UH pitching in as many games.
Nathan Hochgesang added two scoreless innings followed by perfect innings by Cody Campbell in the eighth and Phil Polanco in the ninth, his first save in two seasons.
The Rainbows, losers of five in a row counting last season, managed only four hits and had the potential tying run in the seventh inning picked off against a team picked to finish seventh in the eight-team Big West.
"It's pretty cut and dry," UH coach Mike Trapasso said. "It's going to be tough to win with four hits. We're just not putting it together in all areas."
Clary Carlsen (0-2) made his starting debut and pitched well enough to win. His seven-inning outing was the longest by a UH starter this season. The multi-duty reliever of last season allowed seven hits and two walks in giving up four runs, but half were unearned when the Rainbows committed two errors in the third inning.
First baseman Andrew Sansaver bobbled a grounder with a runner on second, who scored, and third baseman Rocky Russo lost a chopper in the lights, he said, that went off his glove for the second error. An out later, Mark McCauley's RBI singled made it 2-1 in favor of the Matadors.
Meanwhile, the Rainbows made the least of their few opportunities. Robbie Wilder and Sansaver started the bottom of the first with back-to-back walks. A throwing-error on a pick-off attempt by Eberhardt moved the runners into scoring position. But Nate Thurber flied out to shallow center, holding the runners. Wilder scored when Jaziel Mendoza grounded out to second before Josh Green popped out to shallow left.
The Rainbows regained the lead at 3-2 in the fourth with RBI singles by Brian Finegan and Russo, only to see the Matadors score twice in the fifth on an RBI ground out to short by McCauley and RBI single by Michael Paulk.
Hawai'i's Matt Inouye hit a one-out double to right-center, only to get picked off second by relief pitcher Hochgesang. It is the second time this season a UH runner has been picked off second base.
Matador pitching retired the last seven Rainbows in order.
"I don't know if it was their pitchers or our hitters," Trapasso said. "I need to take a look. They made the pitches, we didn't get the hits and they got the hits when they needed. We just have to put it together and do a better job."
The series continues at 6:05 tonight with left-hander Kyle Jean (0-0) going for CSUN against UH right-hander Ricky Bauer (0-1).
Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8042.
