CS Northridge Chases Demons by Holding Fast for 5-4 Victory

Cal State Northridge emerged with a 5-4 baseball victory over visiting San Jose State on Friday and a hauntingly familiar scene provided the backdrop for a dramatic conclusion.

With Northridge batting in the eighth inning, Matador catcher Mike Sims approached pitcher Kenny Kendrena in the dugout with a question:

“The score is 5-4 going into the ninth. This remind you of anything?”

Indeed, it did. The situation was the same last season when Northridge, with Kendrena on the mound, couldn’t hold the advantage against Fresno State in the West II regional championship game.

“Yeah, it does,” Kendrena replied. “I think it’s time we put that in our past for good.”

And so he did, although not without another ironic twist that led to more drama.

Dave Jennings led off the ninth for San Jose with a single to right and Kendrena, as he had at Fresno, walked the second batter, Eric Pitt. Both runners were stranded, however, when Kendrena regrouped to get the next three batters in order.

“We all proved we can do it now,” said Kendrena, who punctuated the final out by leaping from the ground and pumping his fist, “and this feels a lot better.”

Kendrena was so shaky in the first inning that he didn’t figure to be around in the ninth. San Jose’s first three batters scored as the senior right-hander allowed two walks, a single, a double and a sacrifice fly to the first five batters.

But a calm followed the storm.

After the Spartans took the 3-0 lead, Kendrena retired 13 in a row. He didn’t allow another hit until the seventh when Pitt homered. Kendrena (1-3) allowed two more hits in the seventh, but worked out of that jam.

Rob Andrakin of San Jose (4-2) also turned in a gritty performance but fell victim to his only stretch of ineffectiveness.

After allowing a solo home run to Mike Solar in the first, Andrakin took a 3-1 lead into the fourth when the Matadors scored four runs on four hits.

Denny Vigo started the rally for Northridge (2-4) with a single to left. He moved to second when Andy Hodgins bunted for the second out. Then came the deluge.

Kyle Washington singled to left, scoring Vigo, and Sims followed with a two-run homer to left, his first. Scott Mowl followed with a walk, took second on a wild pitch and scored on David Prosenko’s single up the middle.

Otherwise, Andrakin was in command. He allowed six hits and walked two while striking out 11 in seven innings.

“We swung at some pitches the Babe couldn’t hit,” said Northridge Coach Bill Kernen, whose team won its second in a row.

No matter. This afternoon belonged to Kendrena, whom Kernen chose to stick with through the re-enactment.

“That’s how these guys learn,” Kernen said. “You have to trust them and have faith in them. There was no way he was coming out of there, and this time he got it done.”