BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - Sophomore Sammy Rodriguez (Salinas HS) continued her magical transformation from starting shortstop to starting pitcher, hurling her first collegiate shutout in a 3-0 win over Iowa Saturday at the Matador Invitational in Northridge.

CSUB (7-8 overall) won its fifth consecutive game, matching its longest win streak at the NCAA Division I level. Iowa fell to 8-9 with the loss. Rain wiped out the rest of Saturday's scheduled tournament action, including CSUB's game against Santa Clara.

Rodriguez, however, was the story once again. Her first shutout was a three-hitter to boot. She fanned five Hawkeyes and walked just one while improving to 5-3 on the season.

Senior right fielder Danielle Lyman (Moreno Valley/Canyon Springs HS) gave her all the run support she would need in the fourth inning. Pinch runner Chelsey Bell (Ridgecrest/Burroughs HS) deftly slid around the tag of Iowa catcher Liz Watkins following Lyman's single up the middle.

CSUB added two insurance runs in the sixth on an RBI grounder from freshman Karlee Rodgers (Clovis West HS) and run-scoring single from senior second baseman Kristen Archuleta (Hollister/San Benito HS).

The Roadrunner offense finished with eight hits, including an extra-base hit for the ninth consecutive game (Jill McClelland's two-out double in the third), but defense proved to be the difference Saturday. CSUB made a handful of highlight worthy defensive plays, including Rodriguez using lightening quick reflexes to corral a pair of hard comebackers and Archuleta robbing Watkins by diving to her left to snare a line drive in the seventh.

But the play of the game came with Iowa threatening to break open a scoreless tie in the third. With runners on first and third and one out, Hawkeye right fielder Taylor Leichsenring hit a hard chopper to short. Heather Veitch (Simi Valley/Royal HS) made a good play to field the ball and throw home, where catcher Jaimey Kleinsmith (Santa Maria/College of the Sequoias) made an even better one, smothering a low throw then blocking plate to stone Johnnie Dowling on a bang-bang play.

The 'Runners will wrap up tournament play Sunday morning with a game against Santa Clara at 9 a.m. CSUB's scheduled 3 p.m. game with host Cal State Northridge will not be played.