Matadors Win 14th in a Row

The baseball team no one believed could win now can’t seem to lose.

Cal State Northridge tied a school record with its 14th consecutive victory, beating Hawaii-Hilo, 10-3, Friday at Northridge.

“We are having a blast,” Matador second baseman Nakia Hill said. “I think this is the most fun any of us have had playing baseball in our lives.”

Hill tripled, singled twice, scored two runs and drove in two to lead a 12-hit attack. Darren Dyt hit a three-run home run to key a six-run eighth inning that broke open the game.

Left-hander Jose Vasquez (7-4) gave up three runs in the first inning but settled down and worked 6 1/3 innings, striking out three and walking one. Eric Fuller and Tim Baron shut out Hawaii-Hilo (13-30) the rest of the way.

Every Northridge starter except first baseman Adrian Mendoza had at least one hit, and Mendoza walked twice and scored. Freshman Eric Horvat doubled twice and Kevin Patrick doubled and stole a base.

“We’re playing relaxed and expecting good things to happen,” Horvat said. “We knew we had a good team all along. Everyone just started putting it together.”

The 14 consecutive victories equal streaks in 1996 and 1973. Northridge (25-17) will attempt to set the record today against Hawaii-Hilo, a Division I independent that has lost three in a row to the Matadors.

Not bad for a team patched together in a few weeks after Northridge administrators cut the program in June and reinstated it in August.

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The Streak

A look at the 14-game winning streak by the Cal State Northridge baseball team:

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Date Opponent Score 3-12 Gonzaga 8-7 3-15 CS Los Angeles 7-4 3-16 Gonzaga 8-5 3-18 CS Fullerton 8-6 3-20 UCLA 4-3 3-21 UCLA 10-3 3-25 Biola 15-3 3-30 Nevada 14-11 4-3 Cal Poly Pomona 15-8 4-4 Cal Poly Pomona 4-2 4-4 Cal Poly Pomona 5-2 4-8 Hawaii-Hilo 11-1 4-9 Hawaii-Hilo 7-2 4-10 Hawaii-Hilo 10-3

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