Northridge Warms Up for Fresno

Never let it be said that Cal State Northridge softball Coach Janet Sherman isn’t a forward thinker.

She’s beyond forward. She’s darn near down the road.

After Northridge swept Cal State Sacramento, 5-0 and 4-1, Friday in a Western Athletic Conference doubleheader and watched Scia Maumausolo set yet another school record, Sherman’s thoughts weren’t on the Matadors’ chances of winning a fourth consecutive WAC title.

She is thinking about the NCAA regional playoffs, which are two weeks away. Perhaps that’s because she knows the Matadors (40-12, 19-5 in conference play), three games behind Fresno State with four to play, are a longshot to win the WAC title.

“It’s not a goal for us,” Sherman said. “Our goal now is to prepare for Fresno and for regionals.”

Sherman is convinced that the Matadors, who play at third-ranked Fresno State in a doubleheader today at 1, will have to return to play the Bulldogs (46-8, 21-1) in the regional tournament. And she is hoping for a sweep today simply to build momentum and confidence for the next time they play in Fresno, where fans can total as many as 5,000.

Nonetheless, Northridge kept its title hopes alive by spanking the Hornets (30-24, 10-12) in the first game and coming from a run behind to win the second.

In the first game, Jen Richardson (21-5), who has suffered from the flu and has been unable to pitch since Monday, threw a four-hitter and recorded her ninth shutout on only 63 pitches.

The Matadors provided plenty of support, collecting 11 hits and tagging Susie Bugliarello (16-7) with five earned runs.

Northridge led, 2-0, after the first inning, added a run in the fifth, got a solo home run by Jennifer Parker in the sixth and scored again that inning on a pinch-hit single by Traci Gallian.

In the second game, the Matadors had one hit off Tami Blunt (11-12) through 4 2/3 innings. But consecutive singles in the sixth by Jill Stribling, Maumausolo and Chelo Lopez helped give Northridge a 2-1 lead.

Maumausolo’s two-run homer in the seventh, her 16th, broke the record of 15 she set last year.

Tara Glaister (19-7) allowed four hits and struck out six through six innings before Richardson came on in relief in the seventh and posted her second save.