Matadors Get No Relief, Lose to Long Beach

LONG BEACH —  Brian Vasey was well rested.

So was Tyler Nelson, albeit for a different reason.

Despite the pair’s career-best efforts for Cal State Northridge, the Matadors were shocked by seventh-ranked Long Beach State, which rallied to score five times in the bottom of the ninth inning Tuesday night and steal a 7-6 victory in a nonconference game before 628 at Blair Field.

Vasey, a junior right-hander from Moorpark College, hadn’t pitched since 1991, his senior year at Simi Valley High. Not that he was your run-of-the-mill high school pitcher: He was 10-1 and was named The Times’ Ventura County pitcher of the year.

Vasey, in perhaps the best performance by a Northridge pitcher this year, scattered three hits through eight innings, but it only served to postpone a disappointing end.

Northridge (18-17) held a 6-2 lead in the ninth before Vasey wore down and surrendered a leadoff triple to Ryan Miller and a run-scoring single to Nate Vopata. After he walked Kirk Pierce, reliever Jason Vargas (1-3) was summoned.

Vargas, who lost to Long Beach (23-7) in relief last week, didn’t record an out. He walked the first two batters to force in a run before Eric Martins stepped in.

Martins ripped a double into the gap in left-center to clear the bases and win it for the 49ers.

The comeback wrecked strong efforts from Vasey and Nelson. Vasey had a run-scoring single, has hit safely in five consecutive games and is 10 for 20 over that stretch.

Nelson, another 1991 Simi Valley graduate, had been on hiatus of a different sort. Before Tuesday night, he spent two games on the sideline in Coach Bill Kernen’s doghouse, along with six other teammates.

However, Nelson was allowed to suit up and was inserted at third base, his customary position. He remembered how to get there, and showed he hadn’t forgotten what the bat was for, either.

Nelson had two hits and drove in two runs, including a double to drive home Vasey with the go-ahead run that broke a 2-2 tie in the sixth.

Nelson later scored on a groundout by James (Scoody) Woods for a 4-2 lead. Freshman catcher Eric Gillespie, who played his home games for Millikan High at Blair Field last year, singled to center to drive in Jonathan Campbell, but Steve Moreno was tossed out at the plate for the final out.

Vasey wasn’t finished, however. In the seventh, Jason Shanahan reached base on a throwing error and took second on a passed ball. Vasey singled to center, driving home Shanahan for a 6-2 lead.

Long Beach (22-8) took a 2-0 lead on the legs of Rolando Avila and Ryan Miller, who manufactured a pair of runs in the first two innings. Each sparked mini-rallies by stealing second base.

Avila was thrown out at third base in the third by Gillespie, however, snapping a streak of 25 consecutive stolen bases.