Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Portland St
No. 14 Softball Earns WAC's NCAA Automatic Bid
5/4/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 4, 2002
FRESNO, Calif. - No. 14 Fresno State softball was looking to capture the Western Athletic Conference title outright in the home finale of the 2002 season. Instead, the Bulldogs clinched at least a share of the WAC title and earned the NCAA's automatic bid despite dropping a 2-0 decision to Portland State in the night cap.
Junior right-hander Leslie Poole dropped to 15-6 on the season after allowing six hits and two runs. Nichole Ivie picked up the win to go to 4-6 on the year.
Portland State scored its two runs in the top of the sixth. With back-to-back singles by Laura Freels and Annie Peccia, Ivie pushed both runners up a base on a sacrifice bunt. Shortstop Vanessa Applegate followed with a two-run single to right center to knock in both Viking runners.
Fresno State threatened in the bottom of the frame. The Bulldogs managed to load the bases on two outs but Ivie induced freshman Julie Selbicky to pop up on the first pitch to Hackett.
In the fourth, Fresno State wasted a lead off double by senior third baseman Lindsay Fossatti. In the seventh, the Bulldogs had a runner at first and second with one out but they could not pull the trigger.
Fresno State will wrap up conference play next Saturday, May 11, 12:00 p.m. at San Jose State. The Bulldogs will have to wait until next weekend to stake its formal claim to the WAC title.
Idle this week in league play, Tulsa and Hawai'i are tied for second place in the WAC standings with a 13-7 mark. The Golden Hurricane visit UH next weekend. The Bulldogs, who can finish no worse then 17-7, wins the WAC's automatic bid as the 'Dogs took three of four from both Tulsa and Hawai'i.
