CS Northridge Takes 2 From Santa Barbara : College softball: Lindstrom and Barr pitch three-hitters in 1-0, 3-1 victories. Matadors reach .500 mark.

In its first four games, the Cal State Northridge softball team had difficulty putting its game together. Errors proved to be the Matadors’ undoing in their opener against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and lack of hitting plagued them in two losses to UCLA on Wednesday.

On Saturday, Northridge combined solid pitching with sound defense and clutch hitting and swept a doubleheader against visiting UC Santa Barbara, 1-0, and 3-1. The Matadors are 3-3 heading into Thursday’s Arizona tournament in Tucson.

“The team had a purpose today,” Northridge Coach Gary Torgeson said. “We wanted to even our record and go into the (Arizona) tournament on a winning note.”

Heather Lindstrom improved her record to 2-0 with a three-hit shutout in the first game, and Pamela Barr allowed three hits in the second game to even her record at 1-1. Barr struck out seven, retiring 15 of the first 16 batters.

Barr sat out her first season at Northridge because her Scholastic Aptitude Test score failed to meet the eligibility standard. She had not pitched in a game in more than 1 1/2 years before facing UCLA last week. “I felt good today,” Barr said. “I haven’t been playing in games for a long time. I’m starting to get back into shape.”

Northridge scored the only run in the first game with daring baserunning. With two out in the sixth inning and Beth Calcante on second, Leilani Artis barely beat out a ground ball to shortstop Brenda Velasquez. Calcante kept running and slid in safely after first baseman Kelli Schott threw high to the catcher.

The Gauchos advanced a runner to third in the seventh with one out but Lindstrom retired the final two batters on a ground out and pop fly to third.

In the second game, the Matadors took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third. Calcante drove in the first run with a single to center field, scoring Denise Swank. Calcante scored the second run on a throwing error.

UCSB (0-4) closed to 2-1 in the top of the sixth, Velasquez’s looping single to center driving in Heather Clark. With runners at second and third and two out, Barr struck out sophomore Amy Bond to end the threat.