Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
BYU
Softball Defeats BYU
3/5/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 5, 2003
FRESNO, Calif. - It took six collegiate at bats and a home debut but the setting couldn't be better for freshman pinch hitter Elizabeth Pierce, who delivered a two-out two-run double in the bottom of the seventh for her first collegiate hit in the Bulldogs' 3-1 victory over BYU.
Fresno State (4-8), which has won three of its last four contests, scored three runs on seven hits while BYU (9-5) had one run on four hits.
Sophomore All-America right-hander Jamie Southern walked one and struck out 11 for her seventh 10-strikeout game of the season and 25th of her career. Improving to 3-5 on the year, Southern is now three strikeouts shy of reaching the 500-career strikeout plateau.
Fresno State scored first with a run in the bottom of the first. With one out, freshman third baseman Angelina Diaz singled to left center. Freshman shortstop Christina Clark was walked to put runners on first and second. Senior catcher Pam West reached safely on a fielder's choice as Diaz raced home to put the Bulldogs up 1-0.
In the top of the fifth, two Bulldog fielding errors and wild pitch led to BYU's run. After leadoff batter and centerfielder Debbie Dodds reached on a bobbled ball by Bulldog freshman first baseman Laura Ferreira, Dodds advanced to second on a wild pitch by Southern. With no outs, Southern got second baseman Milli Jones to pop out to Ferreira. After getting right fielder Lauren Watson to hit a comebacker for the second out of the inning, Cougar shortstop Kate Walker reached safely when Ferreira failed to touch first base, which allowed Dodds to score.
In the sixth with one out, West singled to left field for her second hit of the game. With senior Sha Oliver coming in to pinch run for West, junior centerfielder Mitzi Ing sacrificed Oliver to second. Southern then beat out an infield single to put Bulldogs on the corners. Pierce, who came in to pinch hit for Ferreira, delivered a 1-2 pitch to left center and the ball rolled to the fence as Oliver and Southern both scored.
BYU pitcher Cynthia Fallowfield (1-2) took the loss as she walked one and struck out two.
Fresno State continues play at Bulldog Diamond for the rest of the week when the 'Dogs host the Hedrick's Hallowell Chevrolet Classic, Thur.-Sun., March 6-9.
The Bulldogs open tournament play tomorrow night, 7:00 p.m., against Cal Poly.
