Fearlessly, Calcante Triggers CSUN Sweep : Softball: Veteran rips two-run homer against UCLA ace in opener; Matadors pound 10 hits in second game as Windmiller breezes.

Cal State Northridge veteran Beth Calcante was unnerved that a freshman teammate was awed by an opposing pitcher’s riseball after the rookie struck out in her first at-bat against UCLA Wednesday.

Upon hearing Traci Gallian’s compliment of DeeDee Weiman’s pitching, Calcante had a few choice words for the Matadors’ designated hitter. Never praise or fear another pitcher, Calcante told Gallian. Never.

An inning later, Calcante put an exclamation point on her reprimand by ripping a two-run home run to fuel the sixth-ranked Matadors’ 2-1 victory over fourth-ranked UCLA in the first game of a nonconference doubleheader.

Perhaps other players overheard the exchange because the Matadors (28-5) pounded 10 hits in the second game, including another two-run home run--by Tamara Ivie--for a 6-1 victory to complete Northridge’s first sweep of the Bruins in 10 doubleheader meetings.

“What can I say?” Northridge Coach Gary Torgeson said. “This is a first. It’s really sweet. The first game was especially sweet with (beating) Weiman and having Beth hit the ball like she did.”

Calcante, a first-team All-American last season, went two for two against Weiman (13-3), who before facing top-ranked Arizona last weekend had given up only one earned run in 97 innings.

Ironically, Calcante’s blast to left field, which seem to set the tone for the day, was not what Torgeson had originally wanted. With Jen Fleming at first base, Torgeson instructed Calcante to do what she does better than any other Matador--lay down a bunt.

But Calcante, who has 14 sacrifice bunts this season, fouled off two attempts before swinging away.

“I didn’t want to bunt,” Calcante said. “In the four years I’ve been here, I’ve never not wanted to bunt when he wanted me to. But, this time I didn’t (want to). But, I didn’t try to foul them off (intentionally).”

Sophomore right-hander Jennifer Richardson, who had made only four appearances this season before Wednesday, got the start over junior right-hander Kathy Blake, who has lost three of her last five starts.

Richardson (4-0), who threw a six-hitter and did not give up an earned run, did not waste the opportunity.

“(Richardson) wanted it really badly,” Torgeson said. “She wanted the ball. I like it when pitchers want it.”

There was no question who would pitch the second game for Northridge. Torgeson gave the ball to senior right-hander Amy Windmiller, who has won 11 consecutive starts.

Windmiller (15-1), who did not surrender a hit until the fifth inning, finished with a four-hitter.

UCLA (25-7), which was swept by Arizona Saturday and had not been swept in consecutive doubleheaders since 1986, managed its only run off Windmiller in the fifth. By then, Northridge already owned a 6-0 lead.

Ivie’s two-run blast to right-center field got the Matadors on the scoreboard in the third. An inning later, Northridge bunched three hits and took advantage of two errors by the Bruins to score four more.

Ivie, the Matadors’ most consistent offensive player, went three for four for the day with three runs batted in.

Terri Pearson, a right fielder who was two for three with an RBI in the second game, injured her shoulder during a head-first slide into second base on a steal and is expected to miss the Matadors’ doubleheaders against New Mexico Friday, Colorado State Saturday and Arizona State Sunday.