NCAA DIVISION II SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP : Bakersfield Beats CSUN Twice to Capture Title

A day which began in ecstasy ended in agony for Cal State Northridge at the NCAA Division II softball championships at Emerson Park on Sunday.

After coming from behind with a dramatic three-run, seventh-inning rally to beat Cal State Bakersfield, 3-2, in the first game of the day, Northridge lost twice to the Roadrunners, 1-0 and 6-2, in the championship round to finish second in the double-elimination tournament.

The title was the third in a row for Bakersfield (44-11), and the Roadrunners had to take the long road to win it.

After losing to Northridge, 3-2, Bakersfield eliminated Bloomsburg (Pa.) University, 4-0, before beating Northridge twice.

“We never gave up,” said Cathy Lewis, a left-handed freshman from Saugus High who got credit for both wins over Northridge. “Even after we lost the first game, we still thought we could win the tournament by playing our game.”

Lewis (16-5) threw a three-hitter to beat Northridge--and four-time All-American Debbie Dickmann--1-0, and allowed one hit in 3 1/3 innings of relief in the title clincher.

Northridge (51-21) had Lewis on the ropes several times in the first game, but could not deliver the knockout punch.

The Lady Matadors had runners on first and third with one out in the fourth, but Danielle Wood popped up and Patti Pearson grounded into a force.

In the sixth, they had the bases loaded with one out, but Wood popped up and Erin McGuire was called out for interference when Pearson’s ground ball hit her.

In the seventh, Northridge had a runner on second with one out, but Lesley Plank flied to left and Krista Miller grounded to third.

Bakersfield only got two hits off Dickmann in the first six innings, but a leadoff single by Michelle Gerry, Tonya Warren’s sacrifice and consecutive singles by Anna Martin and Lisa Uranday pushed across the game’s only run in the bottom of the seventh.

Bakersfield quickly took control of the second game when third baseman Miller’s error led to four unearned runs in the first.

With two on and two out, Dalene Sarret grounded to Miller, but instead of going to first, Miller turned and threw wildly to shortstop Anna Getherall covering third in an attempt to force Dara Ferris.

Ferris scored when the ball rolled up the third-base line and Gerry, Warren and Martin followed with singles off sophomore Heather Lindstrom (14-7).