Eggert’s Rescue Effort Propels CSUN Past Nevada : College baseball: Left-hander replaces injured Morales in third inning and allows only an unearned run in 4-1 Matador victory.
David Eggert can best be described as a spot starter with long-relief credentials who also can be used as a closer.
Name the situation and the Cal State Northridge senior left-hander will be more than willing to confront it.
“If you know Eggert, he’s a hyper guy,†CSUN catcher Mike Sims said. “He just wants to get in there and battle.â€
Against Nevada on Saturday afternoon, Eggert took over for the injured Steven Morales in the third inning and all but shut down the Wolfpack the rest of the way to lead CSUN to a 4-1 nonconference win at home.
“It was important that he was able to jump in at the spur of the moment and do that,†CSUN Coach Bill Kernen said after Eggert held Nevada (22-9-1) to six hits and one unearned run in 6 2/3 innings. “He’s going to be a real important guy for us the next couple weeks.â€
With Northridge (21-7-1) holding a 1-0 lead in the top of the third, Eggert received his call when Morales strained a triceps tendon while throwing a split-finger pitch.
Inheriting a 1-and-2 count with one out and none on, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound Eggert took command with his fastball and curve en route to his fourth victory in as many appearances.
“That’ll work,†Eggert said of his appearance-to-win ratio. “Basically, I just look for every opportunity I can.â€
Eggert’s pitching also helped CSUN overcome a lackluster offensive output that featured just four hits off Wolfpack hurlers Cody Kosman (7-2) and David Croft.
Though Kernen called the Matador offense “nonexistent,†there were some significant signs of life.
Sims had his second consecutive two-hit performance and drove in CSUN’s first run with a second-inning single.
After the Matadors scored in the third on an error, a walk, a wild pitch and a passed ball, Matador designated hitter Scott Mowl made it 4-1 in the fifth with a two-run homer to right off Kosman.
The homer, Mowl’s third, was a towering fly ball that slowly pushed Wolfpack right fielder Chris Singleton backward until he ran out of real estate.
“I didn’t think it was going to get out of here,†said Mowl, a 6-4, 215-pound senior who bats cleanup between fellow left-handed hitters Greg Shockey and Greg Shepard.
Eggert, who walked three and struck out six, yielded Nevada’s only run in the sixth, an inning that featured three Matador errors. John Turri singled, moved to second when right fielder Kyle Washington bobbled the ball. After a wild pitch, Turri scored on a ground ball to second that Scott Richardson could not handle.
Singleton and Turri led Nevada’s seven-hit attack with two hits each. Kosman’s only losses this season have come against CSUN.
Morales (4-1), a fixture in the CSUN starting rotation, will have his arm examined but he is not expected to be out for an extended period of time.
“It was something that just tightened up,†Morales said of the strain.
CSUN will go for a sweep of the three-game series today at 1 p.m. In the first two games, Northridge has scored 10 runs on just 10 hits.
“We made some mention to (the hitters) about jumping in and doing their part,†Kernen said.
Go beyond the scoreboard
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