Matador Drought Continues

FRESNO —  More than 200 miles from campus, the Cal State Northridge softball team thought it had left its past behind.

But a change of scenery didn’t have much of an effect on the Matadors.

Northridge had its losing streak extended to four games Friday in a 3-0 setback to Big West Conference rival Long Beach State in the first round of the NCAA Division I Regional before 2,199 at Fresno State.

The losing--and perhaps the 94-degree heat--seeded to take its toll on Matador Coach Janet Sherman, who was uncharacteristically curt and uneasy after the game. Sherman, like the Matadors, is searching for answers.

“We’re physically here to play, but we play better when we’re on an emotional high,” she said. “We have to find that trigger to get that high again.

“We’ve got nothing to lose. We’ve just got to go out and have fun.”

Another loss would eliminate the Matadors, who haven’t gone 0-2 in a regional since 1991, their first year in Division I.

Northridge (34-21-2), ranked No. 19, plays California in an elimination game at 3 p.m. today. Fresno State, a 7-0 winner over Cal on Friday night, meets Long Beach (44-18-1) today at 1.

Long Beach, which won the Big West title when front-runner Northridge lost its last three conference games, took a 1-0 lead in the second inning.

With runners at first and third and one out, Jennifer Johnson’s squeeze easily scored Jessie Martinez.

The Matadors, who beat Long Beach in three of five regular-season games, finished with six hits, but didn’t bunch two together until the seventh.

Long Beach ace Tammy Dietrich (23-10), a senior right-hander, baffled the Matadors. She had only one strikeout but retired 10 straight batters in one stretch.

Dietrich scattered three hits and threw only 43 pitches through five innings.

Dietrich, however, found herself in a jam in the sixth. Northridge’s Katrina Nolletti led off with a single to left and advanced to second on a passed ball. After fighting off seven pitches to get to a full count, Chelo Lopez was hit by a pitch.

After Jennifer Parker’s groundout moved pinch runners to second and third, Elizabeth Sanches was intentionally walked to load the bases with one out.

Shelby Wilcox hit a come-backer to Dietrich, starting a 1-2-3 double play.

Northridge right-hander Tara Glaister (22-11), who struck out seven and walked five, allowed two more runs in the seventh on a walk, two singles and a fielder’s choice.