Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Hawaii
No. 13 Softball Wins Slug Fest Over Hawai'i
4/20/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 19, 2002
HONOLULU - No. 13 Fresno State and Hawai'i wielded its bats to the tune of 10 runs on 21 hits in Western Athletic Conference play at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
The Bulldogs prevailed with a 6-4 victory in a slug fest that featured three home runs, including one by senior third baseman Lindsay Fossatti.
Freshman right-hander Jamie Southern, who was tagged for a pair of two-run home runs, got oustanding defensive support and picked up her 27th win despite giving up 10 hits while striking out six and walking one.
Wasting no time and looking to deliver a message, Hawai'i jumped right out of the chute with a one-out two-run home run by WAC Player of the Year and shortstop Kate Judd in the bottom of the first.
The Bulldogs answered with a three-run frame in the top of the third. Senior first baseman Vanessa Czarnecki led off with a walk. Senior center fielder Tiffany Whipple then reached on a fielder's choice as Czarnecki was forced out at second. With Rainbow Wahine pitcher Sheri Oronoz getting sophomore second baseman Pam Perez to ground out, Fossatti homered to center field for a two-run shot, her third home run on the season. Southern legged out an infield single and freshman left fielder Julie Selbicky walked before sophomore designated player Lori Hoffman lifted a RBI single to center field to score Southern.
Hawai'i charged right back with two runs in the bottom of the third. With two outs, Judd walked before first baseman Stacey Porter connected for a two-run shot to right field.
Trailing 4-3, Fresno State tacked on two runs in the fifth and added another in the sixth to secure the WAC victory.
In the fifth, Perez was hit by pitch and Fossatti walked before Melissa Coogan came in to relieve Oronoz. Southern reached on a fielder's choice but Fossatti was safe at second by a Wahine error and Perez advanced to third. With Sha Oliver coming in to pinch run for Fossatti, Coogan induced Selbicky into a ground out as Selbicky went to first and Perez was out at home. With one out and bases loaded, Oliver scored on a wild pitch before Hoffman delivered a RBI single to right center to score Southern.
In the sixth, Czarnecki led off with a single to center field. With Whipple sacrificing Czarnecki to second, Perez beat out an infield hit to put runners on the wings. Fossatti knocked in Czarnecki on a ground out for the Bulldogs' sixth run.
Fossatti broke the school's career mark in walks when she picked up her 107th in the fifth inning. With six strikeouts and pushing her total to 312 on the year, Southern is three shy of setting a new single-season school record in strikeouts.
