Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Louisiana Tech
Baseball Blanks Louisiana Tech 2-0
3/23/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 23, 2002
RUSTON, La. - Fresno State (16-12, 4-1 WAC) upped its streak to double-digits, winning its 10th in a row with a 2-0 blanking against Louisiana Tech (13-13, 1-4 WAC). Senior RHP Bob Runyon (Atwater, Calif.) tossed the first shutout of the year for the Bulldogs, winning his third straight decision.
Runyon retired the first nine batters he faced and carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning retiring the 18 of the first 19 batters. Louisina Tech third baseman Mike Hall broke up the no-hit bid in the bottom of the seventh with no outs getting a single through short and third.
"I was hitting my spots real well and stayed under control. My curveball was working really well, also, and I was able to keep them off balance," said Runyon.
LaTech RHP Casey Blalock was also keeping FS bats under control, shutting out Fresno State through the first six innings. FS managed just five hits the whole day, none bigger than junior designated hitter Brian Pierce's (Fresno, Calif.) solo home run in the seventh.
It was Pierce's sixth homer of the season which ties him for the team-lead with junior Ben Fritz (San Jose, Calif.) and sophomore Casey McGehee (Santa Cruz, Calif.).
Fresno State added an insurance run in the eighth off a wild pitch that allowed junior outfielder Joey Myers (Fresno, Calif.) to score from third.
Louisiana Tech threatened in the seventh and eighth innings by getting the leadoff batters on board, but FS responded with a double play in each inning to erase the threat.
Runyon earned his fourth win of the season allowing just one walk while striking out eight.
No runner reached third base on the day for LaTech and just one made it to second, which was in the ninth inning.
Fresno State and Lousiana Tech will wrap up their series tomorrow at 11 a.m. Senior RHP Zach Minor (Walnut Creek, Calif.) will get the start for FS.
