Arizona Ends CSUN Streak With Sweep

A few weeks ago, Cal State Northridge had one of the deepest pitching staffs in Division I softball. Even without Heather Lindstrom, who quit the team about a week ago, the Matadors appeared to have enough pitching to make a run at an NCAA tournament berth.

Certainly, ninth-ranked CSUN is still in the hunt, despite being swept Wednesday by No. 2 Arizona, the defending NCAA champion. But in losing, 6-1 and 2-1 (eight innings), at home, the Matadors appeared thin in the pitching department.

The losses ended Northridge’s winning streak at 14 games and dropped the Matadors to 35-19-1.

Northridge ace Kathy Blake did not start either game because Coach Gary Torgeson believed she was tired after her win Tuesday over Cal State Long Beach.

Moreover, Torgeson did not pull struggling first-game starter Jackie Volkert--when CSUN was still in contention--because he said he needed to save Cami Allen to start the second game.

Even when Volkert was being pounded by the Wildcats, who feature four starters from the Valley area, Torgeson did not allow another pitcher to mop up.

So Volkert, who started the game with a 30-inning scoreless streak, ended up tying a school record for most hits allowed, 14.

Her counterpart, Debby Day, formerly of Burbank High, tossed a three-hitter and struck out seven.

In the second game, Allen was touched for only one hit--a home run by Laura Espinoza, a freshman from Banning High. The hit tied the score, 1-1, in the fourth.

After Allen walked the leadoff hitter in the fifth, Blake took over and set down 10 of the first 11 batters she faced.

With one out in the eighth, however, former Thousand Oaks High standout Amy Chellevold reached first on a bunt, advanced to second on a sacrifice and scored the game-winning run when Michelle McDonald allowed Espinoza’s hit to drop in front of her in right field.

Torgeson took the blame for positioning McDonald too deep and he added that his players need to take a more aggressive approach.

“We have to take risks, like the play in right field,” he said. “The key with having this (new) high ranking is to turn it up a notch, not to hold on.”