COLLEGE SOFTBALL / CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE TOURNAMENT : Matadors Rout Oregon State, Then Slip Past Santa Barbara

Cal State Northridge took advantage of errors and timely hitting Thursday to win two games in its six-team, round-robin softball tournament.

The Matadors (25-17-1) parlayed five hits, including a three-run double by left fielder Kim Oakes, and two errors into six runs in the third inning of a 7-0 win over Oregon State. The game was stopped after 4 1/2 innings because of a seven-run rule.

In its second game, Northridge defeated UC Santa Barbara, 3-2, in nine innings, scoring all of its runs after the game went to a tiebreaker with the score tied, 0-0, after seven.

DePaul also opened with two wins, defeating Michigan State, 1-0, in eight innings and Southern Utah, 3-2.

Northridge will play three games today--DePaul at 11 a.m., Michigan State at 1 p.m., and Southern Utah at 3.

In the opening game, the Matadors took a 1-0 lead in the second on a single by catcher Patti Pearson, a sacrifice by Oakes and a single by Cami Allen.

Northridge scored six more runs in the third. Singles by Nicole Wiggins, Jen Fleming and Tamara Ivie loaded the bases and a single by Pearson drove in Wiggins.

Oakes doubled to clear the bases and consecutive errors by Trisha Barr and Germaine Fairchild allowed Oakes and Allen to score.

Allen (5-6) limited Oregon State (9-8) to one hit.

After Jackie Volkert of Northridge and Becca Berline of UCSB pitched seven scoreless innings in the second game, the Matadors pulled out a win by scoring three runs via the tiebreaker system.

A throwing error by first baseman Alison Brickner on Fleming’s sacrifice bunt scored Terri Pearson in the top of the eighth to give Northridge a 1-0 lead. But UCSB tied the score in the bottom of the inning when Kelli Newcombe drove in Annjanette Vitulli with a single.

Northridge scored twice in the ninth to take a 3-1 lead. Patti Pearson doubled home Debbie Barnard, then scored on a throwing error by second baseman Jennifer Gomez.

Volkert (2-3) had to weather a Santa Barbara rally in the bottom half. The Gauchos (7-8) scored once and had runners at second and third after a pair of walks and a groundout.

But Volkert coaxed Vitulli to hit a fly ball to Oakes for the final out.

Patti Pearson led the Northridge attack, going three for five in two games, with three runs and two runs batted in. Fleming scored one run and also was three for five.