COLLEGE HIGHLIGHTS : LaRosa, CSUN Shut Off Chapman, 11-5

Cal State Northridge pitcher John LaRosa held Chapman hitless for eight innings Wednesday. Unfortunately, the Panthers spoiled LaRosa’s no-hit bid in the first inning, scoring five times before going flat in Northridge’s 11-5 California Collegiate Athletic Assn. victory at Chapman.

LaRosa (6-2), from Cleveland High, allowed four hits and two earned runs in the first inning, then settled down to retire 23 of the final 24 batters. He set down 19 in a row at one point and gave up two walks over the final eight innings.

LaRosa finished with five strikeouts and three walks.

Northridge (32-17, 15-9 in conference) battled back from a 5-0 deficit to tie the score in the third. John Balfanz had the game-winning RBI, singling in Jim Vatcher in the fourth for a 6-5 CSUN lead.

Northridge left fielder Mark Anderson continued his hot hitting, hammering a two-run homer in the third inning. It was Anderson’s 11th home run and seventh in the past six games.

Chris Pinsak added a two-run homer in the seventh for Northridge, his sixth.

Tim Rapp went 4 for 5 with two RBIs to lead CSUN’s 11-hit attack.

Chapman is 23-27 and 11-14 in conference.

SOFTBALL

Karen Mead tossed a two-hitter and struck out seven to lead Moorpark to a 5-1 Western State Conference victory at College of the Canyons (2-11 in conference). Mead is 26-10 this season and 44-15 over two years for Moorpark.

Krissy Erickson, Heidi Leal and Karen Noble each had two hits for Moorpark (26-11, 12-1 in conference), which clinched the WSC title last week. Malia Ouzts had two steals for Moorpark to increase her state-leading junior college total to 47. Ouzts has been thrown out six times.

Diane Nicholl singled with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to ruin Julie Lara’s no-hit bid, but Pierce (15-13, 7-6) dropped a 3-0 Western State Conference decision to Hancock at Pierce.