Northridge Gets Shot at Redemption : College baseball: Matadors, in the Fresno tournament final, seek to reverse tide of disheartening big-game losses.

FRESNO —  After capitalizing on Mike Solar’s two-run home run in the 11th inning to defeat New Mexico, 7-5, Friday in a baseball game that meant little, Cal State Northridge will play a game tonight that holds considerable meaning.

For all their success in the past three seasons, the Matadors (16-5-1) have been haunted by failures in three significant tests. They will get a chance to reverse their string of misfortune at 7 tonight when they play host Fresno State (19-10), a 13-3 winner over Creighton on Friday, in the championship game of the Fresno tournament.

A pattern of losses in prominent games began in 1990 when Northridge lost to Jacksonville State, 12-8, for the NCAA Division II championship.

Although they went 44-18-1 in their first year at the Division I level last year, the Matadors also carry memories of two 1991 losses.

The first was a 3-1 loss to Creighton in the championship of the Fresno tournament; the second was a 6-5 loss to Fresno State in the final of the NCAA West II regional, in which the Bulldogs scored twice in the ninth to win.

Both games were played at Beiden Field, the site of this eight-team, six-day event.

Northridge Coach Bill Kernen said his starting pitcher will be senior Kenny Kendrena (4-3), who was pinned with the loss in the regional final.

“It just will be nice to have a second chance in a championship of some kind,” Kendrena said. “I can’t wait to tee it up.”

Kernen used a little reverse psychology in his postgame message Friday.

“I told them there’s no reason to try to do something great (tonight),” he said. “I just want them to play as they have all week. I don’t want them to get overly pumped, then you have a tendency to press.”

Against New Mexico (12-13-1), Denny Vigo led off the 11th with an infield single off Phil Arreola, the Lobos’ ace who entered in relief in the fourth.

Up stepped Solar, who missed by five feet of ending it when he hit an 0-and-1 pitch over the wall but foul down the left-field line.

On the next pitch, the No. 9 hitter socked his team-leading sixth home run over the wall in right-center. “I don’t think he’ll be hitting ninth all season,” Kernen said.

John Bushart (2-0) went the entire 11 innings to give Northridge its fifth complete game in as many tournament games. He gave up nine hits and struck out nine.

The game against New Mexico had little significance for Northridge because the Matadors already had qualified for the final. The Matadors are 5-0 in the tournament.