Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Tulsa
No. 14 Bulldogs Drop 7-1 Decision to Tulsa
5/8/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 8, 2004
FRESNO, Calif. - The 14th-ranked Fresno State softball team dropped a 7-1 Western Athletic Conference decision to visiting Tulsa in game one this afternoon at Bulldog Diamond.
Coming out of the gate flat, the Bulldogs mustered just three hits and committed an error. Tulsa, which came out swinging, scored seven runs on six hits.
Bulldog left-hander Lori Hoffman suffered her second loss of the year and fell to 5-2 overall after allowing seven runs (six earned) on five hits while walking one and striking out three.
Tulsa starter Maren Genow stifled the 'Dogs as she yielded three hits, walked one and struck out six to go to 20-3 overall.
Tulsa got on the scoreboard first with a run in the first before exploding for a six-run sixth. Fresno State avoided the shutout after scoring one in the bottom of the sixth.
Tulsa center fielder Julie Shafer and pinch hitter Ami Day recorded a pair of RBI for the Golden Hurricane after each picked up a hit. Shortstop Stacey Walkingstick and first baseman Katie Torres also had a RBI for Tulsa.
Sophomore All-America shortstop Christina Clark had the lone RBI for the Bulldogs while tallying one of the team's three hits. Hoffman and freshman left fielder Rachael Donaldson picked up the other hits for Fresno State.
In the first, Tulsa collected its first run on a swinging third strike that got away from freshman catcher Nichole Willis. Hiar led off the game with a single to center field. After Walkingstick was out on a fielder's choice sacrifice to move Hiar to second, Torres reached safely on a fielder's choice as Hiar moved to third. On a 0-2 count, Miller struck out swinging but the ball bounced to the right of Willis and went to the backstop to allow Hiar to score.
With the game humming along, Tulsa racked up six runs on five hits to slow down the pace of the game after sending 10 batters to the plate.
Designated player Holly Reynolds walked before Hiar reached on a Bulldog fielding error. With Reynolds going to third on the play, Hiar stole second before Walkingstick lined a RBI single to center field. Torres followed with a RBI single down the left field line as Hiar scored. Miller answered with a single to center field to load the bases. Right fielder Stephanie Sliepen reached on a fielder's choice as Walkingstick was forced out at home for the first out. Shafer singled to left field and picked up two RBI as Miller and Torres scored. Fresno State sent in pitcher Laura Ferreira while Tulsa countered with Day to pinch hit for third baseman Lindsay Galloway. Day then benefited from a blooper that just fell fair down the right field line and recorded two RBI as Shafer and Sliepen scored.
In the bottom half of the sixth, freshman left fielder Rachael Donaldson led off with a double to left field. After junior first baseman Shasta Lewis grounded out to move Donaldson to third, Clark then singled to right center to knock in Donaldson.
Against 24 wins, the loss marked the fifth time this season that Fresno State dropped a game at Bulldog Diamond.
