CSUN Clinches Softball Title With Sweep

The Cal State Northridge softball team secured its ninth consecutive California Collegiate Athletic Assn. title Saturday by sweeping a doubleheader from UC Riverside at Lady Matador Field.

Overall, Northridge pounded out 21 hits--including four doubles--and pitchers Debbie Dickmann and De Dow held Riverside to 10 singles as the Lady Matadors claimed their eighth undisputed conference championship in the past nine years with 3-1 and 7-0 wins.

The Lady Matadors have won 11 of their past 12 games and 10 conference games in a row.

Northridge, which has four conference games left, holds a four-game lead over Cal State Bakersfield, which has concluded conference play. Third-place Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is five games behind heading into a doubleheader today at CSUN.

In the first game, Dickmann surrendered six hits and struck out six to improve to 20-7, and Erin McGuire went two for three with two runs batted in.

Dow (8-5) scattered four singles in the second game to record her fifth shutout of the season, and Lisa Erickson went three for three with an RBI and two runs for the Lady Matadors (40-18 overall, 15-1 in conference play).

UC Riverside threatened briefly in the fourth inning of the opening game, trimming an early CSUN lead to 2-1. But Erickson scored on McGuire’s single in the home half of the inning to provide the final margin.