CSUN's 6-Game Week Ends Non-Conference Slate

Softball Notebook

NORTHRIDGE, Calif.-- CSUN concludes the non-conference portion of the 2019 schedule this week with six games.

The week begins Tuesday when the Matadors (13-14) host Dartmouth. First pitch is set for 11:30 a.m. Brandon Marcos' audio only pregame show on the CSUN Sports Network presented by Dignity Health begins at 11:20 a.m.

Dartmouth went 0-5 at the CSUN/LMU Tournament last week to fall to 2-13 on the season. Morgan Mortinelli (.333) is the team's leading hitter. Madie Augsto has a team leading 24 strikeouts. CSUN defeated Dartmouth 11-2 last Friday in the first meeting between the two clubs in softball.

CSUN travels to Fresno State Wednesday night for a 5:30 p.m. start. The Mountain West Network will have a video stream while ESPN 790, the Deuce, will have radio coverage available both on the internet and over the air.

Fresno State was swept by Colorado State in a three-game series in the Mountain West opener last weekend in Ft. Collins. Fresno State is 14-9 overall and opens a 10-game homestand against the Matadors Wednesday night.

Vanessa Hernandez is sixth in Division I in doubles (11) and eighth in doubles per game (0.49) to begin this week. Hernandez is hitting .358 with a team leading six home runs and a team leading 25 RBI.

All three of the Bulldogs' pitchers have won at least four games this season with Hailey Dolcini going 6-3 so far with a team leading 51 strikeouts. Fresno State leads the all-time series 40-21.

The Matadors return home Saturday when CSUN begins a three-game set with Saint Mary's. The doubleheader gets underway at 12 p.m. The Matadors and Gaels open Sunday play at 10 a.m. before Saint Mary's faces UCLA at 12:15 p.m. The day concludes when CSUN faces the Bruins at 2 p.m.

Marcos anchors video streaming coverage on the CSUN Sports Network presented by Dignity Health on both Saturday and Sunday. The pregame show will begin 10 minutes prior to the scheduled first pitch.

Saint Mary's begins the week with a 6-16 record after going 3-2 at its own tournament last weekend. SMC hosts Marist Thursday before heading to Northridge.

The Gaels' leading hitter is Dylan Linton who is batting .333. Kalissa Heihn tops the squad with three home runs while Jayme Campbell has SMC high 11 RBI. Sofia Earle is 3-3 with two saves while Erin McCoy is 3-2 and has a team high 44 strikeouts.

This weekend's series will mark the ninth, 10th, and 11th times that CSUN and SMC will be playing softball. The Matadors lead the all-time series 6-2.

UCLA is ranked first in both Top 25 polls to begin this week. The Bruins improved to 25-1 after sweeping No. 5 Washington to open Pac-12 last weekend in Seattle.

Aalyah Jordan is second in Division I in doubles (12) and eighth in doubles per game (0.48). Briana Perez is 10th in D-1 in runs per game (1.23) and 25th in hits (38). Rachel Garcia leads Division I in strikeout-to-walk ratio (11.64), second in strikeouts per seven innings (11.6), fourth in ERA at 0.54, and 13th in victories (12). The Bruins lead the all-time series against CSUN 45-10.

CSUN went 2-2 at the CSUN/Loyola Marymount Tournament last weekend. Megan Stevens hit .667 for the weekend (8-12). She posted a .927 slugging percentage and .667 on-base percentage during the tournament. Jillian James was 2-1 in the circle, striking out eight in 13 innings.

~www.GoMatadors.com~

CSUN's 6-Game Week Ends Non-Conference Slate

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Players Mentioned

Jillian James

Megan Stevens

California State University Northridge Athletics