Fresno State Athletics
Baseball Team Defeats Southern Utah 6-2
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 7, 1999
Fresno, Calif. - Pitcher Tom Graham pitched his fourth complete game as the Bulldogs defeated Southern Utah 6-2. After Thunderbirds tied the game in the top of the eighth, Fresno State scored four runs in the bottom of the inning to win the game.
The win breaks the Bulldogs' three-game losing streak and ups their record to 17-24 on the season. Fresno State and Southern Utah will meet tomorrow night at 7 p.m. in Beiden Field.
Both pitchers had control of the game early until the Bulldogs broke through for two runs off Thunderbird starter Nick Roberts. Catcher Brad Harper started the inning by reaching on an error by the shortstop, then he moved up to second on a single by shortstop Jason Fanconi.
The next batter, rightfielder Joe Gerber, grounded to the pitcher, who threw out Harper at third. After a walk to second baseman Tom Creighton, both Fanconi and Gerber scored on a single by leftfielder Anthony Acevedo.
Graham continued his domination of the Thunderbirds through the first seven innings, but so did Roberts as he kept the Bulldogs off the board for the next four innings. In the eighth inning the Thunderbirds pushed across two runs to tie the game and they had runners on second and third, but Graham struck out the next two batters to get out of the inning.
In Fresno State's half of the eighth, Gerber led off with a triple to right field. The senior from Lemoore scored the game-winning run when the next batter, Creighton, singled to right field. The scoring for the Bulldogs continued as Acevedo drove in his third run of the game when he scored Creighton with a double to right center. After a single by first baseman Brandon Gemoll, third baseman Nick Garcia grounded to the first baseman, who preceded to throw home and get Acevedo trapped in a run down.
With two outs the Bulldogs completed the scoring for the evening with designated hitter Jeff Prieto singling to left field, scoring Gemoll and Garcia. Graham came back for the ninth and pitched a one-two-three inning.
