Northridge Splits With Minnesota in Softball

Junior Cami Allen threw a two-hitter to lead the Cal State Northridge softball team to a 1-0 victory in the second game and a split of a doubleheader against visiting Minnesota.

Northridge lost the first game, 6-0.

In the second game, Northridge’s Beth Calcante drove in Michelle Blaha in the third inning with a fielder’s choice. A sacrifice by Debbie Barnard had advanced Blaha to third base.

Allen (5-8), who struck out two and walked two, retired 17 of 19 batters at one stretch.

“Cami was on today,” Northridge Coach Gary Torgeson said. “After the first couple of innings, we were in control.”

In the first game, Minnesota (14-16) took a 1-0 lead in the second inning and increased it to 5-0 with one run in the fifth and three in the sixth.

Diane Field went three for three for Minnesota and drove in two runs in the first game. She hit a solo home run in the top of the seventh inning. Lezlie Weiss, who had two hits, also drove in two runs.

Freshman Tamara Ivie led Northridge’s first-game offense with two hits, both doubles. She leads the team with five doubles.

Pamela Barr (6-5), pitching only the first inning, took the loss in the first game. Barr left the game because of a chronic muscle spasm in her right shoulder.

She is questionable for the PONY invitational that starts today at Cal State Fullerton.

In six innings of relief, junior Heather Lindstrom gave up 13 hits and six runs.

Minnesota’s Brenda Bixby (4-5) scattered five hits in six innings to pick up the win.