Northridge Gets Talked Into a Split : College softball: Torgeson has tirade after loss in opener.

The Cal State Northridge softball team received a tongue-lashing from Coach Gary Torgeson after dropping the first game of a nonconference doubleheader to Cal State Long Beach on Wednesday at Northridge.

The Matadors responded with a come-from-behind victory in the second game.

Plagued by a key mental error, an overthrow from the outfield and a poor offensive output, the second-ranked Matadors lost, 2-1, to fifth-ranked Long Beach, falling for the second time in three games against a ranked team. Northridge split with No. 15 Fresno State on Sunday.

After a harsh reprimand from Torgeson between games, the Matadors (34-5-1) played more like the team that climbed the rankings ladder from No. 14 to No. 2 in the first 10 weeks of the season. The Matadors slugged nine hits and Amy Windmiller (15-3) pitched a three-hitter to pace a 3-2 victory.

“He chewed us out between games,” said slugger Beth Calcante, who is riding a 10-game hitting streak. “I went over to him and said, ‘You know what, Coach? That’s what we need once in a while. Tell us what jerks we’re being.’ ”

In the opener, Long Beach (34-12) scored in the first inning when center fielder Jen Fleming’s throw home sailed over the reach of the cutoff, Tamara Ivie. Long Beach’s Stacy Van Essen, who led off the inning with a single, advanced to third and was holding there on Kristyn Frady’s hit until Fleming’s throw went astray.

Calcante singled for Northridge’s first hit and Ivie walked to start the fourth, but the Matadors got just one run out of the rally on a run-scoring single by Shannon Jones. Ivie was thrown out at the plate trying to score on Jones’ single.

Northridge helped the 49ers break a 1-1 tie in the seventh. With two out, Gia Wilkerson stole third uncontested when shortstop Vicky Rios failed to cover the base.

“It was my fault,” Rios said. “Coach thought it was a miscommunication between me and (third baseman Jones). But, it was my ball. I take it as my fault.”

Olga Delgado drove in Wilkerson with an infield single for a 2-1 lead.

The Matadors trailed, 2-1, in the second game, but tied it in the fifth on Fleming’s run-scoring single. An inning later, Missy Cress led off with a double and scored with two out on Terri Pearson’s single.