Arizona has no mercy for Northridge

Only this time, Cal-State Northridge had no answer.

The Wildcats won 18-1 yesterday afternoon at Frank Sancet Field, invoking the NCAA's brand-new 12 run mercy rule, which states if one team is up by 12 or more runs after seven innings, the game can be called.

Arizona had the mercy rule in hand in the bottom of the fourth.

"It's a real good way to start the year," Arizona starting pitcher Rob Shabansky (1-0) said. "It makes it a lot easier to pitch when they do that (score 18 runs)."

Shabansky held up his end of the bargain limiting a Matador offense that scored 12 runs on 13 hits to no runs and only four hits yesterday.

"I think the biggest (difference today) was Shabansky getting ahead of the batters by throwing strikes," UA head coach Jerry Stitt said.

The junior southpaw tied a career-high with eight strike-outs in the game.

While Shabansky was dominant on the mound, the Arizona offense did its part by hammering the ball early and often.

Led by senior second baseman Erik Mattern, the Wildcats erupted for eight runs in the bottom of the first inning. Mattern started the inning with a triple and completed the first inning annihilation with a three-run homer.

For the second day in a row Mattern scored four runs, while driving in three. Mattern set a new personal mark with nine total bases in the game.

Mattern was a double away from hitting for the cycle, becoming the second Wildcat in as many games to come within a hit of the cycle. Yesterday third baseman Omar Moraga had a single, double, and a homer.

"You don't think about the double when you're at the plate," Mattern said. "But of course you want to get it."

Mattern missed his shot largely due to the mercy rule. He would have hit first in the bottom of the seventh had the game not been called.

The Wildcats big inning started with Mattern's triple, followed by an RBI single by freshman shortstop Keoni DeRenne. Then things got out of hand for Matador starter Ray Morawski (0-1), who was pitching his first collegiate game in two years after spending time away from school.

Two walks later left the bases loaded for freshman left fielder Eric Torres who hit a ground rule double over the right-center field fence to knock in two runs.

Junior catcher Greg Clark, who was the only starter not to get a hit in the first game, ripped a double into left, widening the lead to 5-0.

Another walk, a wild pitch and a stolen base left two on for Mattern, who sent the ball downtown.

Arizona scored twice more in the second on first baseman Kenny Corley's solo homer to straight-away center and on a sac-fly by designated hitter Russ Brown.

UA added another run in the third before another explosion in the bottom of the fourth.

The highlight of the inning was when UA freshman designated hitter Josh France came in to pinch hit for Brown and blasted a two-run shot in his first collegiate at bat.

Back-up catcher Jacob Mohler had an RBI double in the bottom of the sixth to finish the scoring, giving Arizona an 18-0 lead going into the seventh.

Northridge therefore needed to score seven runs to stave off the mercy rule. They got one on an RBI single by center fielder Darren Dyt.