Shanahan’s Grand Slam Gives CSUN Victory Over Chapman : College baseball: Matadors run their record to 9-0 with the win. Starter Najar shuts out Panthers for 7 1/3 innings.

With one swing, Jason Shanahan helped 12th-ranked Cal State Northridge remain undefeated with a 4-1 victory Tuesday against host Chapman.

Shanahan belted a towering grand slam, the first by a Matador this season, for a 4-0 lead in the second inning.

“It felt good,” Shanahan said. “It was down and in where I like it. I hit that ball as good as I’ve hit a ball all year. I needed to turn on something like that. Hopefully, it’ll happen more often.”

The Matadors (9-0) loaded the bases on Mike Sims’ single, Keyaan Cook’s walk, and an error by Chapman third baseman Abijah Alastra on David Prosenko’s bunt.

The home run over the left-field fence was the second of the season for Shanahan, a sophomore first baseman from Missoula, Mont.

Chapman starter Bob Skapik, a junior left-hander, did not allow the grand slam to shake him. Over the next seven innings he held the Matadors scoreless and limited them to one hit.

“He was getting deep in the count and we were swinging at bad pitches,” CSUN Coach Bill Kernen said. “That is the worst we’ve played. It was horrible.”

In his first start of the season, Matador right-hander Johnny Najar, a junior transfer from Fresno State, shut out the Panthers for 7 1/3 innings and allowed five hits while walking five and striking out two.

Najar ran into trouble in the eighth when Skapik, the leadoff batter, reached first on an error by Shanahan. Brian Green followed with a chopping grounder that flew over the head of Northridge third baseman Andy Small.

Then, Chris Briones lined out to Joey Arnold, who was positioned perfectly in the gap between left and center field, but Tom Puppe loaded the bases with a single to left. On five pitches, Najar walked Trevor Rush, allowing Skapik to score.

Najar was replaced by Evan Howland, a freshman from El Camino Real High, who induced an inning-ending double play. Small made a backhanded snare of the ball, touched third and threw to first, where Shanahan stretched to make the catch and the tag of the runner.

“We’ve been playing with fire a little bit lately,” Shanahan said. “We probably won’t be able to get out of those jams all year so we have to keep ourselves from getting into them.”

Matador notes

With three double plays, the Matadors increased their total to 21. They made a season-high three errors, bringing that total to seven. . . . Evan Howland earned his first save as a Matador. After improving his average from .143 to .344 in the past four games, left fielder David Prosenko moved up in the lineup from ninth to seventh. Center fielder Joey Arnold, who is hitting .259, was dropped to No. 9 in the lineup. . . . Leadoff hitter Andy Hodgins, batting a team-low .184, made two dazzling plays at shortstop. . . . Chapman, a second-year Division I independent, fell to 7-10.