The Cal State Northridge softball team extended its winning streak to four, and have now won nine of their last 10 after defeating Quinnipiac in a doubleheader by scores of 3-0 and 4-3 March 13 at Matador Diamond.

In game one, CSUN went ahead with a run in the first. Freshman Amanda Peek led off with a single, stole second and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Micah Putnam. Junior Megan Smith followed with a sacrifice fly to left to score Peek and give CSUN a 1-0 lead.

The Matadors extended their lead to 2-0 in the third. Sophomore Jackie Duree led off with a single and stole second and scored on a tag up.

CSUN added its final run in the fourth. Senior Janine Grund singled and freshman Sarah Kahn ran for her and proceeded to steal second and move to third on a wild pitch. One out later, senior Heather Martin singled up the middle to score Kahn to make it 3-0.

Freshman Selena Salazar allowed just three hits with no walks and struck out three to improve to 4-3 on the season.

In the second game, CSUN went in front 2-0 with a pair of runs in the second. Martin started things off by tripling down the right-field line. Junior Kelly Zakosek walked and stole second to put two runners in scoring position. Senior Jamie Pederson followed with a hit to short which brought home Martin to make it 1-0. One out later, Duree singled to right to plate Zakosek and make it 2-0 Matadors.

CSUN added two more in the third when Smith recorded a one-out infield single and moved to second on a wild pitch. Grund singled up the middle to put runners at the corners. With Kahn pinch-running for Grund, she stole second. Martin then walked to load the bases and Smith came in to score when Zakosek drew a bases-loaded walk. Pederson was then hit by a pitch to score Kahn and make it 4-0 Matadors.

Quinnipiac tried to comeback, scoring a run in the fourth and two runs in the sixth. Sammi Allendorfer drove in Henry on a sacrifice fly in the fourth to make it 4-1. In the sixth, Sarah Collins drove in Maria Browne on a single and Allendorfer plated Henry on a single to left to cut the lead to 4-3.

But junior Sam Schroeder shut down the Bobcats for the rest of the game. She retiring the side in order to preserve the CSUN win. Schroeder allowed two earned runs and six hits while striking out seven to improve to 6-3 on the season.

Before beating Quinnipiac, CSUN beat Penn 10-2 Virginia 5-4 at the Loyola Marymount Tournament.

In victory over Penn, CSUN got off to a quick start by getting ahead 3-0 in the first and never looked back by enforcing the mercy rule.

Senior Jan Moshier went 2-for-4 in the game with seven RBIs, which set a school record. She hit two homeruns including a grand slam. Salazar pitched the entire game and allowed two runs, seven hits and had seven strikeouts.

In the win over Virginia, it was a pitcher’s duel between Erin Horn and Schroeder. The game was scoreless until the fourth when each team scored a run. The Cavaliers went up 1-0 when Amy McKean singled up the middle to score Jessica Taylor. But the Matadors evened the game at one when Moshier hit her third homer of the day to left field in the bottom of the inning.

Both pitchers would each pitch three more scoreless innings to send the game to extra innings, bringing out the international tiebreaker rule, which places a runner at second base to start an inning.

In the eighth, Virginia scored a pair of runs to go up 3-1 as McKean singled in Elea Crockett and Sara Larquier squeezed home Taylor. CSUN, however, evened the score at three with two runs in the bottom of the eighth. With Pederson at second, Peek hit her third homer of the season to center to tie the game 3-3.

Virginia went back up with a run in the top of the ninth when Jackie Greer bunted home Horn to take the 4-3 lead. The Matadors, however, won the game in the bottom of the inning on a throwing error by the Cavaliers.

With two outs and Milne on third and Martin on second, Pederson grounded a ball to pitcher Karla Wilburn who threw the ball away, allowing Milne and Martin to come home with the game-tying and game-winning runs.

Moshier went 2-for-4 at the plate for the second straight game and had two of the Matadors five hits. With the win, Schroeder improved her record to 5-3 on the season, going all nine innings and allowing two earned runs while striking out four.

CSUN will next take the field against Texas A’M at the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton.

Justin Satzman can be reached at sports_sundial@csun.edu.