Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
New Mexico
#9 Softball Takes 2001 Campbell/Cartier Tournament Title
2/19/2001 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 18, 2001
POWAY, Calif. - No. 9 Fresno State captured the 2001 Campbell/Cartier Tournament crown after defeating New Mexico, 4-0, in the tournament's finale late Sunday afternoon.
As the only team to go undefeated in invitational play, the Bulldogs posted a 5-0 mark and notched five shutout victories to open their season.
Against New Mexico, Fresno State scored four runs on 10 hits while committing two errors while the Lobos had seven hits and two errors.
Fresno State took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning on two outs. Pam Perez reached base on a fielders choice and stole second base before Becky Witt had an infield single to first base to put runners at first and third. With Vanessa Czarnecki at the plate, Witt stole second and Perez scored after an errant throw by the Lobo catcher. With Witt advancing to third on the bad throw, Czarnecki singled to left field to score Witt.
The Bulldogs added another run in the fifth and the seventh inning. Perez led the inning off with a line drive to center field. Witt walked before Czarnecki sacrificed the runners to second and third. Tiffany Whipple followed with a hard hit shot into right field to score Perez. In the seventh, Witt had an infield single to the shortstop and Czarnecki followed with an blooper over the third baseman's head to put runners at first and second. After Whipple flied out to right field, Lindsay Fossatti reached base on an error by the Lobo third baseman which allowed Witt to score.
Leslie Poole notched her third straight win in the circle for the Bulldogs. Scattering seven hits, she struck out three and walked four as the Bulldogs improved to 5-0 on the year. On the weekend, Poole started three games, posted a shutout and combined for two more, and gave up 13 hits and struck out eight for a 0.00 ERA in 22.0 innings of work. Opponents batted just .173 against her in four appearances.
Defensively, Witt robbed the Lobos of three hits on the day, including stealing a home run away from third baseman Michelle Carter in the bottom of the third inning. Staging a threat with two runners on, Carter's ball was caught by Witt at the fence and held on to before momentum took Witt through the break away fence in dead center field for the third out.
Fresno State, which tied Stanford with a 4-1 mark last year for the best record but finished second based on runs scored, took home its first Campbell/Cartier Tournament crown. No. 15 Stanford, which came into the day with a perfect 4-0 invitational record, dropped a 2-1 decision to CS Northridge and finished second.
In tournament action, Fresno State picked up five shutout victories over Iowa State (8-0, 6 inn.), San Diego State (2-0), #11 Michigan (1-0), CS Northridge (5-0) and New Mexico (4-0).
Fresno State travels to Columbus, Ga., next weekend to participate in the NFCA Leadoff Classic, Feb. 23-25. The Bulldogs meet Missouri, Michigan and Georgia in pool play before bracket play begins.
The Bulldogs make their first appearance at home on March 7 against Colorado State before hosting the Hedrick's Hallowell Chevrolet Classic, March 8-11. Fresno State will then host Southern Utah on March 13 to close out a 10-game homestand. Tickets can be purchased on line or by phoning the Bulldog ticket office at (559) 278-DOGS.
