Spellman Makes Pitch for New Job : College baseball: Northridge sophomore takes advantage of rare start to stop Chapman, 2-1.

Sophomore Eric Spellman would give his right arm to be a full-time starting pitcher--and that just might be what Cal State Northridge needs to become a national contender.

In his first start in nearly a year, Spellman responded with a six-hitter Wednesday as Northridge relied on two home runs to beat Chapman College, 2-1, in a California Collegiate Athletic Assn. baseball game at Matador Field. It was CSUN’s second one-run win over Chapman in as many days.

The Matadors, ranked 12th in the Collegiate Baseball magazine NCAA Division II poll, improved to 10-6 overall, 5-1 in CCAA play; Chapman is 8-8, 1-3.

“It doesn’t surprise me that Eric pitched well,” Northridge Coach Bill Kernen said. “You can’t expect a better performance from a pitcher. That’s as good as it gets from the mound.

“He earned a lot of respect and will get more chances to pitch his way into the rotation.”

Spellman, a nonscholarship player from Royal High, made his last starting appearance last May, edging then second-ranked Cal State Sacramento, 2-1, in 11 innings. It was the best--and last--performance of his freshman season.

After throwing one too many sliders, Spellman developed severe tendinitis in his right (pitching) arm. He spent the preseason in the training room rehabilitating and contemplated quitting the team.

But he eventually decided to stick it out. And Wednesday, when Kernen was reluctant to use ailing starters Monte Jones (flu) and Scott Sharts (tendinitis), he turned to Spellman.

Spellman entered Wednesday’s game with a 5.14 earned-run average in seven innings of relief but looked composed against the Panthers, mixing his fastball with an arm-wrenching slider.

Losing pitcher Pete Coleman (2-3) also yielded six hits, but two were home runs.

Mike Solar hit a solo shot in the fifth inning, his second home run in two days, and Craig Clayton hit another in the sixth, his third of the season, to provide the scoring for Northridge.

The Matadors have hit at least one home run in 11 of their 16 games.

Chapman halved the deficit in the seventh when Doug Yates doubled, moved to third on Chris Cutliff’s single and scored on Mike Guiseffi’s sacrifice fly.