Fresno State Drubs CSUN in Softball

Heather Lindstrom, Cal State Northridge’s junior right-hander, said she was not surprised that the Matadors failed to defeat the second-ranked softball team in the nation Thursday.

After all, this is the Matadors’ first year in NCAA Division I. Fresno State, meanwhile, appears headed for its fourth consecutive appearance in the Division I World Series championship game.

The Bulldogs pounded out 13 hits--including a grand slam--en route to a 7-1 victory over the Matadors in pool play of the PONY tournament at Cal State Fullerton.

The Matadors (22-18), now 1-1 in their pool, will finish round-robin play this morning with a game at 9 against Texas A & M (ranked No. 9) and will begin bracket play tonight before finishing the 15-team tournament Sunday.

Lindstrom (9-4) took the loss but showed good control, walking one in six innings. She retired six batters in a row after giving up a leadoff single to Julie Smith in the first inning. But the Bulldogs (24-1), who have finished runners-up to UCLA for the Division I title the past three years, demonstrated their prowess in the third inning, scoring five runs (three earned) on four hits, a walk and an error.

Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with one out for freshman Kim Maher. Shortstop Debbie Barnard bobbled Maher’s hard-hit grounder and Donna McDaniel scored from third on the error. Then Lindstrom had to face cleanup hitter Gina LoPiccolo.

And clean up is exactly what LoPiccolo did--with one swing. LoPiccolo, a senior from Sunny Hills High in Fullerton, sent a 1-1 rise ball over the fence in left-center field for the fourth grand slam of her career.

“We probably should have gone down (with the pitch),” Lindstrom said. “But, she’s a good hitter--a legitimate hitter--she probably would have hit it anyway.”

Fresno State right-hander Terry Carpenter (12-0) limited the Matadors to two hits and struck out seven.

Northridge scored an unearned run in the fifth. Kim Oakes led off with a line single down the left-field line, went to second on Jeanne Mixon’s sacrifice bunt and scored on an error.