California State University at Northridge
Connecticut
Matadors Head to Stockton For Louisville Slugger Invitational
3/18/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Last week, CSUN hosted its own tournament at home at Matador Diamond, going 3-1. The Matadors played four games in four days, starting off by defeating Bryant University 5-3 on Thursday with a late rally and three RBI from Katie Hooper. On Friday, pitcher Jordan Sauceda fanned a career-high 11 to lead the team past Buffalo 4-1 while Taylor Glover broke an early tie with a bases-loaded triple, moving her into fifth place in program history with nine three-baggers. Saturday gave the Matadors their only loss of the weekend as they fell 5-1 to Buffalo. On Sunday, Brianna Elder threw a complete game to help the Matadors defeat Colorado State 6-2. Glover also stole her 20th base of the season on Sunday, setting a CSUN Division I record.
UConn starts the season at 7-13 through just 20 games and comes to Stockton after a seven-game stop in San Diego for the San Diego Classic. Senior infielder Emily O'Donnell has started all 20 games for the Huskies and is hitting .349 with 12 RBI and 22 hits, with 11 of them for extra bases. Junior Alyson Amber has three home runs so far this season and junior outfielder Alyssa Gardea is hitting .321 with 17 hits and three stolen bases. Pitcher Lauren Duggan is 5-6 and has thrown three complete games and earned herself a save on her team-leading 4.45 ERA.
The University of the Pacific is 9-20 on the season and 2-5 at home, coming into the weekend with a three-game losing streak. The Tigers are led by junior infielder Nicole Zapotoczny, who is hitting .295 and slugging .602 with 23 RBI, five home runs and two triples, and freshman utility player Molly Bourne, who has driven in 20 and stolen three bases to go along with her .301 batting average. The Tigers' pitching staff has a combined 4.99 ERA and is led by senior hurler Dani Bonnet, who is 5-9 through 13 starts, seven of them complete games.
Grand Canyon played in the first half of the San Diego Classic, just missing the UConn Huskies. They're 15-13 so far this season and have scored 147 runs to their opponents' 145. The Antelopes' entire roster is from the state of Arizona, and they have a 10-4 record outside of their home ballpark. Sophomore lefty Taylor Nowlin is 7-5 so far on the season through 70.2 innings pitched and six starts. She also has two saves, one complete game and a 3.57 ERA. On the offensive side, senior Kayla Henry has stolen seven bases to date to go along with her .396 batting average. Infielder Camree Wartman has driven in 30 runs off of 32 hits and her .395 average and slugger Bianca Boling has hit seven home runs in 71 at bats.
Next week, the Matadors return home to take on UCLA on Thursday, March 26 before starting Big West Conference play. CSUN hosts Cal Poly for a three-game series on Saturday and Sunday.
Follow Your Matadors Online
All home games this season will include live stats coverage and selected contests will also feature a free audio broadcast on GoMatadors.com. For road games, related links to the game, including for any live stats, audio and video, will be posted before the game on the softball schedule page of GoMatadors.com. Fans are also encouraged to check the CSUN Athletics Department's official Twitter feed (@GoMatadors) for updates of games in progress and news and notes throughout the week.
Take Your Seat in the Front Row
Fans can now follow all of the action for CSUN's 19 varsity sports right from their phone or tablet! CSUN Front Row, the official mobile app of Matador Athletics, is available for free for iOS and Android devices. Fans can also access live stats coverage of a majority of CSUN home events, as well as audio and video links when available. For more information, search for CSUN Front Row on the App Store or Google Play or visit GoMatadors.com/frontrow.
