Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Stanford
Fresno State Drops Season Opener
1/29/2000 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Jan. 28, 2000
FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno State fell into an early hole against the No. 1 team in the country and could not recover as it dropped the 2000 season opener at Pete Beiden Field to Stanford, 10-2.
The Bulldogs fell behind 6-0 after the top of the fourth inning and could muster only two runs on four hits off a trio of Cardinal pitchers on the evening.
Left fielder Anthony Acevedo (Sr., Bakersfield, Calif.) was 2-for-4 with a seventh-inning RBI double, while second baseman Tom Creighton (So., Weldon, Calif.) went 1-for-3 and walked twice. Mike Bowlin (Sr., San Jose, Calif.) had Fresno State's only other hit, an eighth-inning triple.
"The offense is not there yet," Fresno State head coach Bob Bennett said. "We need to have better at bats up and down the lineup. We need some punch to have a threat every inning."
Tom Graham (Sr., Modesto, Calif.) got the opening-night start for Fresno State and picked up the loss. Graham (0-1) allowed three runs on five hits and walked one in his 2.2 innings of work. Mike Hernandez (Fr., Fresno, Calif.) relieved Graham and allowed three runs on a pair of Cardinal hits and walked two in his one inning of work. Three Bulldog relievers followed Hernandez and allowed four runs on six hits over the final 5.1 innings.
"It was typical game," Bennett said. "We let the game get out of hand and we did not compete on the mound like we are capable of. You just can't let the other team jump out and get a run on you. Obviously, we need to pitch better than we did tonight."
The Cardinal's top six hitters in the lineup went a combined 13-for-27 with three doubles, a triple and one home run. Edmund Muth led the way, going 3-for-5 with a double, a home run and four RBIs.
Stanford All-America starter Jason Young (1-0) picked up the victory as he allowed one run on a pair of hits and walked four in his four innings of action. Mark Gosling relieved Young and struck out four in four innings of work. Ryan McCally set the Bulldogs down in order to close out the game.
The three-game series continues Saturday afternoon at Beiden Field at 1 p.m. Right-hander Shawn Hannah (Sr., Clovis, Calif.) will oppose Stanford junior righty Justin Wayne.
