Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Utah Valley State
Bulldog Bats Come Through In Win Against Utah Valley State
2/17/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 17, 2006
Fresno, Calif. - After three and a half scoreless innings of baseball at Beiden Field Friday night, the Bulldogs erupted for 13 runs in the next four innings in a 13-9 win over Utah Valley State. The Bulldogs had a complete team effort with 11 different players collecting a hit on the night, including freshman Justin Wilson who hit a double and scored a run before finishing off the night from the mound, pitching 1.1 hitless innings and striking out three.
On a chilly night at Beiden Field, with the temperature at 43 degrees at first pitch and steadily dropping through the game, the Wolverines got the first chance at scoring, loading the bases against starter Doug Fister in the top of the first inning with one out. Fister was up to the challenge, striking out Canyon Vance and getting a ground-out to finish off the inning with no score.
Utah Valley State starter Kam Mickolio had the opposite start, moving through the early innings of the game with no trouble, facing one over the minimum through three innings. The Bulldogs used some classic small ball to get on the board in the fourth inning, as Loren Storey led off the inning with a single, and then scored without a ball leaving the infield after two walks and a hard ground ball out from Nick Moresi. A leadoff double from Utah Valley State's Brad Hales led to a Wolverine run in the top of the fifth however, evening the score.
The two walks from Kam Mickolio were a sign that his command was starting to slip, and the Bulldogs took full advantage in the fifth. Todd Sandell led off the inning with a walk, moved to third after a stolen base and a wild pitch, and scored on an Erik Wetzel RBI single. Another walk and a single by Storey loaded the bases with no outs. Kent Sakamoto continued the rally with an RBI single, and Beau Mills added more runs with a two-run single down the right-field line. A single from Christian Vitters moved Mills to second, who scored on a bunt from Frank LoNigro after moving over on a deep fly to put the `Dogs ahead 7-1.
Fresno State added three more in the sixth on a Christian Vitters sacrifice fly and a two-run homer from Nick Moresi, his first home run of the year. That was followed by three more runs in the bottom of the seventh, coming off of hits from pinch hitters Justin Wilson and Chase Moore.
Utah Valley State began a furious rally in the eighth inning, scoring seven runs after Doug Fister left the game to move within striking distance. Freshman Justin Wilson moved from the DH spot where he had pinch-hit to the mound, where he closed out the inning with a strikeout, and then finished off the game with two strikeouts in the ninth.
Fresno State and Utah Valley State continue a three-game series tomorrow at 1:05 p.m. at Beiden Field. Eddie Romero takes the mound for the Bulldogs, and match up against Kalen Parsons for the Wolverines.
