Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Tulsa
No. 14 Bulldogs Surge Past Tulsa in 7-5 Win
4/3/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 3, 2004
TULSA, Okla. - The 14th-ranked Fresno State softball team charged back from a 5-0 deficit to post a 7-5 Western Athletic Conference victory at Tulsa in the night cap at the Donna J. Hardesty Softball Complex.
With each team using at least three pitchers, the Bulldogs scored seven runs on nine hits while Tulsa tallied five runs on seven hits and had four errors.
Fresno State's surge came courtesy of five doubles and a triple as All-American Jamie Southern picked up her second win of the day in a relief role to go to 22-5 overall.
Senior designated player Lori Hoffman caught fire as she and Southern collected multiple hit performances. Hoffman knocked in three Bulldogs after going 2-4 with a pair of doubles.
Sophomore third baseman Veronica Green (1-3) and freshman left fielder Rachael Donaldson (1-3) had the other two RBI for Fresno State.
Sophomore right-hander Laura Ferreira was roughed up as she allowed three runs on three hits and walked one while facing just eight batters in one inning of work. Coming into the second inning with a runner at first, junior right-hander Amanda Wolf got the next three batters out to end the scoring threat. She would go on to toss 2.2 innings while allowing two runs on three hits with two walks and a strikeout. Southern came into the fourth and would finish with a one-hitter and three strikeouts in the final 3.1 innnings. With 11 strikeouts posted on the day, Southern's career total stands at 974.
Tulsa sent four pitchers to the circle. Starter Maren Genow pitched 4.1 innings as she gave up five runs on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Lindsey Dyer, who would take the loss and fall to 4-2 overall, pitched 0.2 innings and allowed two runs on two hits with a walk and a strikeout. Ami Day, who started game one, gave up a hit in 0.1 innings of work while Julie Fennell tossed the final 1.2 innings and struck out two.
The first half of the game belonged to the Golden Hurricane. Scoring three runs in the first and adding two more in the third, TU looked to be in control.
In the first, catcher Kelly Miller reached base on a fielder's choice and picked up a RBI before a one out two-run scoring double by right fielder Stephanie Sliepen gave the Golden Hurricane a 3-0 lead.
In the third, a two-out two-run single by third baseman Lindsay Galloway gave Tulsa a 5-0 advantage.
Fresno State chipped away at the lead the next three innings after posting three in the fourth and a pair of runs in the fifth and sixth inning.
In the fourth, senior center fielder Mitzi Ing led the inning off with a tripe to right field. After Green struck out, Donaldson hit a line drive up the middle to score Ing. Junior first baseman Shasta Lewis drew a walk to put runners on first and second. All-America shortstop Christina Clark then grounded out to move the runners up a base. Nearly hitting her second home run of the day, Southern's hit went to the fence but was mishandled by the Tulsa left fielder as Donaldson and Lewis scored.
In the fifth, sophomore second baseman Leticia Pacheco led off with a double down the left field line. Hoffman followed with a RBI double to right as Pacheco scored. Pinch runner Daisy Gaynor came in to run for Hoffman before Ing grounded out. Green then responded with a run scoring double to right center to score Gaynor.
In the sixth, Southern led off with a double to left field before freshman catcher Nichole Willis looped a single to left. After Pacheco grounded out and the runners advanced, Hoffman hit her second straight double and narrowly missed a home run when her hit found the bottom of the fence in right center as Southern and Willis ran home.
Fresno State (33-12, 6-0 WAC) continues WAC play next week when it travels to Hawai'i, April 9-10, for a four-game series.
