Rain Shortens Northridge Softball Tournament

In the end, the rain won.

But not before a valiant effort by Cal State Northridge softball coaches, who worked to keep playing fields dry enough for competition in a five-team, round-robin tournament last weekend.

Coaches doubling as groundskeepers started work at 5:30 a.m. Saturday, dumping the first of what turned out to be 1,500 pounds of Rapid Dry dirt on a rain-soaked Northridge field.

“The coaching staff did a great job,” Coach Janet Sherman said.

The first game started on time at 8 a.m., but light rain fell almost continuously until play was suspended under heavy rain at 4 p.m.

Sunday morning provided more of the same. But when the supplier in Saugus ran out of Rapid Dry, it was down to the local grocery store for eight bags of kitty litter.

In the third game Sunday, Northridge and San Diego State were in the bottom of the first inning when heavy rain returned.

“When the downpour came in the San Diego game there wasn’t any other place for the water to go,” Sherman said. “I said, ‘OK, that’s it.’ But I’m happy we got in as many games as we did.”

Six of the scheduled 12 games were played and Oregon State was declared champion after going 3-0.

Northridge, which lost to Oregon State, 4-0, Saturday, finished 2-1. San Diego State was 1-0, Loyola 0-2 and Northwestern 0-3.