Punchless Northridge Salvages Split : College softball: CSUN wins second game, 4-0, in 13 after 1-0 loss.

Because of the deadliness of the recent earthquake, Cal State Northridge Coach Gary Torgeson has a new perspective on winning: If the Matadors win, great. If they lose, no big deal. The Matadors are just thankful to be alive.

Based on the way Northridge played its opener against Cal State Fullerton on Sunday--and its ho-hum reactions to a doubleheader split--the Matadors must feel the same way.

“I’m not gonna be upset if we go 25-25 and make it to the (Women’s College) World Series,” Torgeson said. “They just lived through the biggest crunchers of their lives. If we had lost both of them, I would have gone on to the next week.”

The Matadors, rated between third and sixth in preseason polls, could easily have lost both games to the 16th-ranked Titans, but pulled out a 4-0 victory in the 13th inning of Game 2 on the strength of Amy Windmiller’s sensational pitching and Fullerton’s defensive breakdown.

After losing the opener, 1-0, Northridge continued its scoring drought for another 12 innings. After 19 2/3 innings and 5 1/2 hours of softball, the Matadors, who ripped an NCAA-record 40 home runs last season, finally scored. With two out, Fullerton committed four fielding errors in the 13th. Each time a Titan commited an error, a Northridge runner scored.

Windmiller, a former resident of the Northridge Meadows Apartments where 16 people died, had a career-high 17 strikeouts and gave up four singles in a complete game.

“I knew we would score,” Windmiller said. “I didn’t know when, but I knew we would. Our defense was so good tonight. I knew they wouldn’t let a run score.”

The Matadors commited three errors on the day. One contributed to their loss and the other two helped Fullerton load the bases in the final inning of the second game.

Northridge lost the opener on a throwing error in the fifth inning by third baseman Shannon Jones. Pinch-hitter Tracie Noggle slapped a single off right-hander Kathy Blake to lead off the inning. Noggle stole second and went to third on a sacrifice. Jstone Vines slapped a chopper down the line at Jones, who made a backhand stab. After Jones looked Noggle back to third, she turned and misfired to first and Noggle scored.

“I looked the runner back too long,” said Jones, who was Windmiller’s roommate at Northridge Meadows. “I didn’t set myself before I threw it.”

Save her throwing error, Jones played exceptionally. The senior accounted for five of the Matadors’ 16 hits on the day.