CSUN Wins WAC Opener as Ramirez Stays Unbeaten

SAN LUIS OBISPO —  Erasmo Ramirez scattered eight hits to lead Cal State Northridge to a 5-1 victory Friday over Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in the Matadors’ Western Athletic Conference opener.

Northridge (13-1), ranked 10th in the nation, broke open a 2-1 game with a three-run ninth inning that included a two-run single by Adam Kennedy and a run-scoring single by Eric Gillespie, who was four for five including a pair of doubles.

Ramirez (4-0 with a 1.32 earned-run average) struck out five and walked none. In 33 innings, he has issued only two walks. He allowed a one-out home run by Taber Maier in the fifth.

Kennedy was two for five with two runs batted in, and Casey Cheshier was two for four.

Northridge took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Gillespie scored from third on a wild pitch by Jason Novi (1-1).

Northridge added to its lead in the fifth on a one-out double by Cheshier that drove in Jeremy Conrad from second.

The victory was the eighth in a row for Northridge, which plays San Luis Obispo (7-4, 2-1 in conference play) tonight at 7.