CSUN Bruised, Battered by Fullerton, UCLA

By the time the Cal State Northridge softball team broke out of its batting slump Saturday, it was too late. The Matador pitching staff already had been too generous.

While Northridge has built a reputation for its potent hitters, not even a two-run double and a two-run, 240-foot home run in the middle innings were enough to close the gap.

After being embarrassed by Fullerton, 11-0, in a game that was called after five innings, the Matadors spotted UCLA six runs in the first two innings and battled briefly before losing, 7-5, and seeing their bid for a spot in the Women’s College World Series in Columbus, Ga., vanish.

Fullerton faces UCLA today at 1 with a second game to follow, if necessary.

Losing to her alma mater didn’t make it any easier on Coach Janet Sherman, who summed up her feelings in two words: “Losing sucks.”

Against UCLA (43-9), Northridge pitcher Jen Richardson found herself in the middle of the second slugfest of the day and her trademark smile was nowhere to be seen.

UCLA bunched four hits in the first inning to score three runs and four more hits to produce three runs in the second inning for a 6-0 lead.

Northridge (43-16), the top-seeded team in the regional, managed only one hit in the first three innings against UCLA. But in the fourth, Shelby Wilcox slugged a two-run double and later scored on an error to get the Matadors closer, 6-3.

Richardson (21-9), who gave up 11 earned runs in 6 1/3 innings, allowed another earned run in the bottom of the fourth on a two-out walk and three consecutive singles.

In the fifth, Chelo Lopez ripped a one-and-one changeup over the bleachers in left-center field with Scia Maumausolo aboard and got the Matadors to within 7-5.

Northridge rallied with three consecutive singles with two out in the sixth, but Jamie Herrington’s groundout to second baseman Kelly Howard ended the threat.

Richardson surrendered 12 hits and six walks. Against Fullerton earlier in the day, it was over shortly after it began.

After the Matadors were retired in order in the first inning, Chris Zboril led off Fullerton’s half of the inning with an infield single and ignited the most-devastating offensive performance against Northridge in an inning since the Matadors moved to Division I in 1991.

Fullerton pounded eight hits for nine runs--eight earned--and sent 13 batters to the plate.

Richardson was pulled after facing only seven batters and allowing five hits. Tara Glaister, a freshman right-hander, replaced Richardson but couldn’t stop the avalanche.

Zboril smashed a grand slam in her second at-bat of the inning to give the Titans a 9-0 lead.

Wilcox, who went four for eight in the regional with four runs batted in, provided the only Northridge highlight, breaking up Liza Brown’s no-hitter with one out in the fifth with a double to left-center field.

Brown (18-11) struck out three and walked one to record her sixth shutout.