Feb. 26, 2010
Pepperdine and Cal State Northridge Box Score (Feb. 26, 2010) 
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - Pepperdine lost 3-2 to Cal State Northridge in 12 innings Friday afternoon at Matador Field. Justin DeMarco singled home the game-winning RBI with two outs as darkness settled over the San Fernando Valley.
The loss dropped Pepperdine's record to 2-3, while Northridge improved to 3-2. Sophomore Aaron Gates (Villa Park, Calif./Orange Lutheran HS) was solid in relief for close to three innings, collecting five strikeouts, but was tagged with his first loss following DeMarco's second run-scoring hit of the game.
Paul Tremlin (2-0) won the game after pitching one scoreless frame.
After Gates struck out Andrew Muren to begin the final inning, he issued a walk to Ryan Pineda, who eventually stole second base despite a high number of pickoff attempts. With Pineda in scoring position and two outs, DeMarco ripped a shot back up the middle to give Northridge its second straight extra-inning victory over the Waves dating back to last year.
Redshirt sophomore Cole Cook (Los Angeles, Calif./Palisades Charter HS) started the game for Pepperdine and delivered another quality start to begin the year, but received little offensive support. Cook pitched seven innings and left with the score tied 2-2 after throwing 103 pitches.
Freshman Joe Sever (San Jose, Calif./Bellarmine College Preparatory) paced the Waves' offense with two runs and four hits, including two doubles. Sever now leads the team with a .542 batting average following three-straight multi-hit games. Sever went 5-for-5 Sunday vs. Oregon and 3-for-4 Tuesday vs. Cal Poly prior to today's 4-for-6 outing.
Sever scored his first run in the third on sophomore Nate Johnson's (Camarillo, Calif./Camarillo HS) RBI single, which gave Pepperdine a 1-0 lead. He then scored the game-tying run in the sixth on a single by junior transfer Floyd Given (Rohnert Park, Calif./Sacramento City College).
In between Pepperdine runs, the Matadors tied and later grabbed a one-run lead by the fifth inning. DeMarco drove in Pineda for the first time in the fourth, and then in the fifth, Muren plated leadoff man Ridge Carpenter.
CSUN had the opportunity to blow the game wide open in the fourth after loading the bases on three straight singles and a walk. But Cook got C.J. Belanger to fly out to shallow center field before getting Billy Swanson to ground into an inning-ending 6-4 fielder's choice.
In the 11th, Gates escaped a one-out jam with runners on the corners after punching out TS Reed and Carpenter.
Overall, Northridge left 11 men on base, while the Waves stranded 10 - six of them after the eighth inning.
Pepperdine freshman left-handed pitcher Alex Najera (Anaheim Hills, Calif./Canyon HS) also pitched effectively in relief, bridging the game between veterans Cook and Gates. Najera stuck out five batters for the second time in as many appearances and did not yield a hit through 2.0 innings of work.
Northridge starter Ryan Juarez lasted 9.0 innings, giving up two runs on five hits while striking out eight. Jimmy Jolicoeur followed with two scoreless innings and two strikeouts.
Pepperdine and Northridge resume their three-game series tomorrow at 1 p.m. at Eddy D. Field Stadium; however, the game may be in jeopardy due to inclement weather. Log on to PepperdineSports.com for any announcements pertaining to the cancellation or postponement of any intercollegiate athletic events.
Cal State Northridge 3, Pepperdine 2 (Feb 26, 2010 at NORTHRIDGE, Calif.)----------------------------------------------------------------------Pepperdine.......... 001 001 000 000 - 2 7 0 (2-3)Cal State Northridge 000 110 000 001 - 3 7 1 (3-2)----------------------------------------------------------------------Pitchers: Pepperdine - Cook, Cole; Najera, Alex (8); Gates, Aaron (10)Cal State Northridge - Juarez; Jolicoeur (10); Tremlin (12)Win-Tremlin (2-0) Loss-GATES, Aaron (0-1) T-3:44 A-342Weather: 74 degrees, overcast
