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Date Posted: 08:45:33 05/11/02 Sat
Author: Jon Ralston
Subject: Softball Splits with Northridge

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Originally Published Saturday, May 11, 2002
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A split decision

Ball, Moody get records, but loss spoils moment

By Bob Highfill

Record Staff Writer

Cindy Ball became the Big West Conference's all-time strikeouts queen, and Barbara Moody broke the school single-season record for hits.

But neither standout for University of the Pacific's softball team was in the mood to celebrate Friday.

Cal State Northridge won the second game of an important doubleheader 7-3 and jeopardized any hope the Tigers had of earning their first Big West championship. Pacific won the opener 2-0 on a one-hitter by Ball, who put record strikeout No. 726 in the book in the fifth inning.

"I'd rather be second in the Big West and reach the World Series than win it and do OK in the regionals,'' said Ball, who will make her final Simoni Field appearance at noon today. "I'd rather us be off (Friday) than off for regionals."

The Tigers (41-15, 20-3 Big West) still could earn a share of the conference title if Cal Poly upsets No. 9 Cal State Fullerton today. Pacific is a lock for an at-large berth, its fourth in five years. On Sunday, the Tigers will find out who and where they'll play.

"It's very disappointing," said Moody, who singled in the third inning of the opener to eclipse Becky Suttman's record of 67 hits in 1983. "There's no reason we should have lost that game. We let them come in here and push us around."

Pacific needed to sweep the Matadors to secure the conference championship. It was going as planned. The Tigers led 2-0 early in the second game on a two-run homer over the left-field fence by Tokay High graduate Brandy Thurman.

But Cal State Northridge (27-23, 12-11), which is fighting for an at-large bid, refused to lie down. The Matadors scored four runs in the second off Jennifer Dacre, who gave up three consecutive walks and a two-run double to Christen Bedwell.

The Tigers scored a run off Summer Richardson in the bottom of the second and had the tying run at third with one out when freshman Jenny Wheeler, the hard-luck loser in game one, entered and prevented further damage.

Kia Fennell made it 5-3 with a solo homer in the fourth, then Sondra Milchiker added two insurance runs with a blast over the left-field fence off Ball in the seventh.

"You can control how much fight you put into a game," said former Matadors standout and first-year head coach Barbara Jordan. "That's what I'm trying to bring back to the program."

Ball set the strikeouts record when she fanned Christy Menefee to open the fifth inning in the opener. Ball struck out 10 in the first game and five in the second to give her 733. She improved to 26-9 and has a 1.01 earned-run average.

Moody had an RBI double in the first game and four hits on the day to give her 70 this season.

"For Cindy, it's well-deserved, as it is for Barbara," Tigers coach Brian Kolze said. "They've earned those accolades. They're good enough to have made their own adjustments without the coaches having to tell them."

Kolze said the Tigers need to make adjustments at the plate today when they face Wheeler again.

"Everybody has to play everybody, and Cal State Northridge is playing very well right now," Kolze said. "They're doing everything in their power to take advantage of their opportunities."

* To reach reporter Bob Highfill, phone 546-8299 or e-mail bhighfil@recordnet.com

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