April 9, 2008
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. -
Complete Game Notes in PDF Format 
On the docket this week for the Cal State Northridge softball team (14-18, 3-3 BWC) is a three-game series with Big West Conference leader UC Santa Barbara (23-16, 6-0 BWC). The Matadors will look for strong performances from pitchers Mercedes Lovato, Amanda Pitzenberger and Samantha Schroeder.
In action last week, the Matadors took one of three from No. 14 Long Beach State, dropping a pair of 1-0 decisions. In its win, a 9-1, five inning decision, the Matadors jumped on the 49ers following home runs by Amanda Peek and Alexandria Alvarado. The Matadors also got timely two-run hits from Jaclyn Rymer and Micah Putnam in the victory.
Over the weekend against Long Beach State, Lauren Olivas led Northridge at the plate, hitting .571 to raise her season average nearly 100 points to .206. She also sports a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage for the season, posting 25 put-outs and one assist.
Lovato and Pitzenberger both pitched well in the Long Beach State series and will be counted upon as the Matadors face UCSB, who is the top hitting team in the Big West Conference. Lovato stands at 12-11 on the season with a 2.94 ERA and holding opponents to a .238 batting average. She also leads the team with 110 strikeouts.
In six starts this year, Pitzenberger is 2-5 with a team-best 2.73 ERA while limiting opponents to a .263 batting average. The sophomore has 18 strikeouts to only four walks in the circle this season.
Peek, Putnam and Alvarado continue to pace the Matadors at the plate. Peek leads the league in on-base percentage (.542) and ranks second in batting average (.442). Nationally, she checks in at 16th in batting average and 10th in on-base percentage.
Having started all 32 games for Northridge at second base, Putnam is batting .305 heading into the UCSB series. She is tied with Peek for the team lead with four home runs and her 41 total bases is already a career high.
Hitting an even .300, Alvarado has 13 RBIs on the season and leads the team with seven stolen bases. Her 33 total bases are nine short of her total from last season and she has already tied her RBI total from her freshman campaign.
On week after facing the Big West Conference's top pitching team, the Matadors welcome in the league's top hitting team, the UCSB Gauchos. With a 23-16 overall record and a perfect 6-0 mark in the conference, Santa Barbara is hitting .295 as a team with a .430 slugging percentage. Brie Galicinao is in her first season as the head coach of the Gauchos.
At the plate, Tisha Duran leads the team in hitting, batting .388. She also has a league-best 10 home runs and 40 RBIs on the season. She has also scored a team-high 27 runs and has walked 18 times to only nine strikeouts. Christine Ramos enters the series on a 13-game hitting streak and is batting .338 for the season. She has 11 stolen bases, which is tied with teammate Jessica Ziegler for second in the conference. Nicole Churnock is the other Santa Barbara regular hitting over .300, coming into the series with a .318 average. Also, Santa Barbara boasts seven hitters batting between .264 and .298 for the season.
In the circle, the Gauchos possess three pitchers who have made over 10 starts this season. Tami Weston checks in with a 3.17 ERA and an 8-3 on the season. She has 50 strikeouts and 49 walks on the season and has allowed 34 earned runs in 75 innings of work. Lindsey Correa leads the team with a 10-5 mark on the season and has a 3.53 ERA. She has tossed a team-high 105 innings on the year, surrendering 53 earned runs and walking 75 batters. Finally, MeLinda Matsumoto is 5-8 on the year with a 4.13 ERA. Opponents have hit .275 against Gaucho pitching this season.
On defense, UCSB sports a .968 fielding percentage, which ties for second-best in the Big West Conference. No Gaucho has more than nine errors on the season.
Following the series against UCSB, the Matadors head back out on the road for a conference series at Cal Poly. The Matadors and Mustangs, the defending Big West Champions, will play three games at Bob Janssen Field. Saturday the teams will play a doubleheader while on Sunday the teams will face off in a single. Both days are slated to start at 1 p.m.
