May 10, 2008

Box Score

NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - The Cal State Northridge softball team (23-24, 12-9) defeated UC Davis, 7-3, Saturday at Matador Diamond in a Big West Conference game. On senior day, the Matadors rallied in the fifth and sixth inning to take the victory in the regular season finale.

Senior Mercedes Lovato picked up her 19th win of the season in the victory, the most wins by a Northridge pitcher since Sarah Farnworth won 25 games in 2001. She finished her senior season with a 19-14 record, a 2.81 ERA and 136 strikeouts.

Another senior, Samantha Schroeder, started the game for Northridge, going 3.1 inning and allowing three runs on five hits. She finished her senior campaign 1-4 with a 4.57 ERA.

The Matadors got on the board first, courtesy of junior Amanda Peek's eighth home run of the season and 34th of her career, moving her into second all-time in school history. The blast gave CSUN a 1-0 lead after three innings. However, in the top of the fourth, UC Davis connected on a three-run home run off Schroeder to take a 3-1 lead.

In the fifth inning, the Northridge rally started, beginning with a pair of runs to tie the score. After Peek grounded into a fielder's choice for the first out of the inning, the Aggie second baseman committed a pair of errors on a grounder by junior Micah Putnam, allowing Peek to score. After to moving to third, Putnam then scored on an RBI double by sophomore Jaclyn Rymer to tie the score at 3-3.

In the sixth, Northridge added four runs to complete the rally. Sophomore Karla Chaparro started the inning by taking one for the team, reaching first after being hit by a pitch in the head. Sophomore Lauren Olivas then laid down a bunt single and Peek drew her school-record 37th week of the season to load the bases.

Putnam then brought home Chaparro with an RBI single to left field to give Northridge the lead. Rymer then laced a ball that the UC Davis shortstop couldn't handle, allowing two more Matadors to cross the plate. The final run scored when Rymer took off for second and Putnam came home to score after the Aggie catcher put the ball into centerfield.

Peek tied a career high with three runs scored and finished the season with a .415 average, the sixth-highest mark in school history. Rymer stole a pair of bases to give her a team-leading 10 on the season. In the final game of her Northridge career, senior Jackie Duree had a single and walked twice.

CSUN honored seniors Mercedes Lovato, Jackie Duree and Samantha Schroeder in a pregame ceremony. The victory over the Aggies concluded the Matador season. The 12 conference victories are the most since 2004.