BASEBALL: BRUINS BASH CSUN AGAIN UCLA TAKES TWO OUT OF THREE UCLA 13, CSUN 8.

Byline: Heather Gripp Staff Writer

Wes Whisler is not the UCLA baseball team's only source of offense. The Bruins made that clear as they hit their way to victory in their season-opening series against Cal State Northridge.

Every member of UCLA's starting lineup had at least one hit in Sunday's 19-hit outburst that included four home runs, giving the visiting Bruins an 13-8 victory in the deciding game of the nonconference series.

In the three games, UCLA scored 36 runs and had 45 hits, only three of which were by Whisler, the preseason All-American expected to anchor the young offense after leading the Pacific-10 Conference with 18 home runs last season as a freshman.

``Everyone underestimated our hitting,'' said UCLA's Billy Susdorf, who is off to the team's hottest start with eight hits, seven RBI and two home runs. ``Yeah, Wes is a big part of our lineup - it centers around him - but everyone can hit. If we don't hit, he's not going to get a chance to do his job. One through nine, we're solid.

``I really think we're going to hit well this year. Once Wes gets going, our hitting's really going to be good.''

Despite a starting lineup that featured only one player that wasn't a freshman or sophomore, the Bruins (2-1) already looked good against a Northridge (1-2) team that lost the core of last season's Big West Conference champions.

Freshman catcher Chris Denove started the UCLA scoring Sunday with a two-run home run in the second inning. The Bruins were up 4-0 by the end of the rally. Denove added an RBI single in the third to give him seven hits in the series.

Sophomore shortstop Ryan McCarthy capped the scoring with a two-run home run in the ninth inning. Sean Carpenter added three hits, Matt Thayer had three RBI, and Brett McMillan, Chris Jensen, Preston Griffin and Whisler had two hits apiece.

Susdorf, a sophomore outfielder from Hart High of Newhall, gets the task of protecting Whisler, batting behind him in the clean-up slot.

Susdorf did the job Sunday by going 3 for 6 with a double and an eighth-inning leadoff home run that extended UCLA's lead to 11-8. A two-run home run by Northridge freshman Randy Akasaka had narrowed the gap in the previous inning.

``We wouldn't have won those last two ballgames if Billy didn't do what he did,'' UCLA coach Gary Adams said. ``This weekend, he was more imposing than Wes.''

The abundance of hits was needed to overcome a Northridge offense that was plenty productive.

Akasaka had four RBI and three of the Matadors' 10 hits. Mark McCauley and freshman Jared Halpert both had two hits.

``We never felt we had a safe lead,'' Susdorf said. ``We knew we had to keep hitting.''

A solo home run by McCauley and an RBI single by Halpert tied the game 6-6 in the fifth inning after UCLA had led 6-2 in the third.

Halpert's hit chased UCLA starter Casey Janssen, who struck out 10 but allowed five earned runs and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings. Doug Silva (1-0) went the rest of the way, striking out five and allowing two hits for the win.

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

CSUN's Mel Robinson Jr., right, can't handle the ball after getting the force on UCLA's Chris Denove.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer