CS Northridge Wins NCAA Division II Softball Title

Cal State Northridge finished an impressive three-day exhibition Sunday at the NCAA Division II softball championships, defeating Florida Southern, 4-0, to win its third title in four years.

The Lady Matadors (58-7) displayed a little of everything in sweeping their three tournament games. Defense, hitting, base running, bunting and, in the end, great timing.

Freshman Debbie Dickman picked the national championship game as the time to throw her first no-hitter of the season.

The 6-1 right-hander from Newbury Park struck out three without walking a batter. The only two Florida Southern players that reached base did so on errors.

Dickman, who retired the last 17 batters in order, said she was unaware that she hadn’t allowed a hit. The Northridge fielders didn’t know, either.

“It’s a good thing, too,” said second baseman Kim Bernstein. “She had one going early this year until I said something about it and broke it up. The next batter got a hit.”

The Lady Matadors, who have finished first or second in the nation for five consecutive years, were clearly a notch above their competition in almost every phase of the game.

“This was probably the most dominating we’ve been since the first time we won,” said Coach Gary Torgeson, whose previous teams had won in 1983, ’84 and ’85. “But back then, it was Kathy Slaten that was dominating. This time, it was the whole team.”

Slaten, a four-time All-American, has statistics that may never be equaled by another Northridge pitcher, but the 1986 team will be the new standard by which others are judged.

“We’ve had some great individuals in the past, but never a team that was this complete,” Torgeson said. “This is the best all-around team ever at Northridge.

“I feel like we dominated the tournament. I’m glad we won the way we won today because I feel we should have won like that--4 or 5 to nothing. We were that much better.”

Northridge scored all of its runs in the fifth inning on five hits, with the help of two Florida Southern errors.

Before the fifth, Stankewitz had allowed only two singles--both by Priscilla Rouse.

“We finally kept Jordan off bases, which helped,” said Florida Southern Coach Chris Bellotto. “That kept us in there for a while, but the truth is, they have too many weapons. If it’s not Jordan, it’s someone else.”

This time that someone was Dickman, who won all six Northridge playoff games. She needed only 60 pitches Sunday to complete her 17th shutout of the season.

Said Dickman, who at times this season has been uncomfortable in her role as the top pitcher on a team of predominantly juniors and seniors:

“I did it for me today. It was for everyone else, too--the seniors--but especially for me.

“I hope they realize,” Dickman added, referring to her teammates, “that it wasn’t my idea to come in like that.”