Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
UC Santa Barbara
Bulldogs Win Third Straight
2/27/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 27, 2004
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Sophomore righthander Matt Garza retired all seven batters he faced to record his second save in as many games and preserve a 7-6 victory for Fresno State over UC Santa Barbara Friday at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.
The Bulldogs won their season high third game in a row to improve to 6-7 while the Gauchos dropped to 6-5.
Garza entered the game with two outs in the seventh and Fresno State clinging to a tenuous 7-6 lead. With runners on first and third, pinch hitter Matt Stevens flew out to left field on the first pitch he saw from Garza, ending a five-run inning for the Gauchos. Garza notched perfect eighth and ninth frames while recording three strikeouts.
Fresno State starter Michael Cooper (1-1) scattered two runs (one earned) on four hits and a walk over a career high tying six-plus innings pitch to earn his first victory of the season.
The Bulldogs held a 7-1 lead going to the bottom of the seventh on the strength of three-run outbursts in the first and fifth. Run scoring hits by sophomores Kent Sakamoto and Richie Robnett highlighted the first inning rally. In the fifth, Robnett struck again with a two-run homer to right field, giving him his team high third round tripper of the season. Robnett was 2-4 with 3 RBI to register his team high seventh multi-hit game and fifth multi-RBI contest.
Fresno State senior catcher Brandon Marcelli was 4-4 with four singles to extend his hitting streak to a team season high tying seven games.
UCSB starter Steve Morlock (1-3) yielded seven runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out two in 4.2 innings to pick up the loss.
The series continues Saturday at 1 p.m. Fresno State senior lefthander David Griffin (1-2, 2.25) is scheduled to oppose UCSB righty Nate Holguin (0-0, 6.35).
Fresno State 301 030 000 - 7 10 2UC Santa Barbara 010 000 500 - 6 6 1Cooper, Girazian (7), Infante (7), Scott (7), Ball (7), Garza (7), and Marcelli; Morlock, Graham (5), Ramirez (9), and Grossman. W- Cooper (1-1). L- Morlock (1-3). S- Garza (2). Hrs: FS: Robnett (3); UCSB: None. T: 3:10. Att: 200.
