Durazo Baffles Northridge

Sandra Durazo of San Diego State has been on cloud nine since learning Sunday the Aztecs earned their first NCAA Division I softball playoff berth.

A day earlier, the Kennedy High graduate figured she had thrown the last pitch of her illustrious college career.

Making the most of an opportunity, Durazo pitched a one-hitter to lead the Aztecs over Cal State Northridge, 2-0, Thursday in a first-round game of a regional tournament at UCLA.

The Matadors will play today at 10 a.m. against Fresno State in an elimination game. San Diego State (39-23) will face Wisconsin at 12:30.

Northridge (31-23), which had won 12 of 15 games and averaged 7.73 hits in that stretch, could not solve Durazo, who struck out six, four on called strikes.

“We didn’t make adjustments,” Northridge Coach Janet Sherman said. “We took strikes and swung at balls. We’ll make any pitcher look great if we do that all day.”

Durazo (28-16), The Times’ 1997 Valley pitcher of the year, allowed an infield single by Sarah Farnworth in the first. She responded by retiring the next 10 batters.

As bad as Northridge performed offensively, the Matadors weren’t any better defensively. Errors contributed to both runs.

In the second inning, with Sarah Hershman at second and one out, Kelcy Murphy’s ground ball to second baseman Christy Menefee advanced Hershman to third. But first baseman Shawna Lane dropped the throw from Menefee and Hershman scored.

In the third, Joann Figueroa reached on an infield error. Figueroa went to second on a sacrifice, to third on a Kellie Nordhagen’s groundout and scored on Janna Kovensky’s single.

“We’re a better team,” Sherman said. “That’s not the team that I’ve been coaching for the last month.”

Farnworth (24-15) scattered four hits, two by Tashie Aguinaga, an Antelope Valley High graduate.