Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Sacramento State
Fister Leads Bulldogs To Win In WAC Tournament Opener
5/25/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 25, 2006
Fresno, Calif. - Doug Fister pitched eight innings of five-hit baseball, striking out eight on the way to his eighth win of the season as the No. 1 seeded Bulldogs advanced in the WAC Tournament. Sophomore Ozzie Lewis provided the spark for the Bulldogs from the plate, going 4-for-5 with a solo home run and driving in four runs as Fresno State defeated Sacramento State 10-2.
Senior Doug Fister started out what was one of his best performances of the year by retiring the side in order to start the game, and Fresno State jumped out quickly in the bottom half. Steve Susdorf was hit as Sacramento State starter John Schlager started out a little wild. Ozzie Lewis slapped the first of four hits up the middle to put two runners on, and a walk to Christian Vitters loaded the bases with one out. Nick Moresi hit an RBI groundout to get the `Dogs on the board 1-0.
Lewis came through again in the second inning, as Todd Sandell reached base on an error from Hornet shortstop Everet Rincon, and was quickly followed by Erik Wetzel reaching on a walk. Susdorf moved the runners over on a groundout to the right side, and Lewis hit his second single to go ahead 3-0.
Sacramento State got on the board by scoring an unearned run in the fourth, but Fresno State came back in the bottom of the fifth as Kent Sakamoto hit a long home run to center field to put the Bulldogs ahead 4-1. The Hornets again were able to pull within two runs, as Buddy Morales homered in the eighth, just barely over the outstretched glove of Ozzie Lewis.
Making a quick recovery from hitting the wall in the top half, Lewis answered back with a home run of his own to start off a big inning for Fresno State in the eighth. Sakamoto singled to right to continue the rally, and after Vitters was intentionally walked, and Moresi beat out a sacrifice bunt to load the bases with no outs. Brian Lapin was then hit to continue the scoring, and a single by Frank LoNigro kept the bases juiced with no outs. Reliever James Wheeler finally got the first out of the inning, but a run came home on a fielder's choice from Wetzel, another run came home on an error, and Lewis drove in RBI number four with a double down the left field line to put the Bulldogs ahead 10-2.
Justin Wilson came in for the ninth inning, and with help from a double-play from Wetzel to Vitters to Sakamoto, the southpaw faced the minimum to stake the Bulldogs to the win.
In the day's other action, WAC Pitcher of the Year Steven Wright struck out 13 on the way to Hawai'i's 8-0 shutout win over Louisiana Tech, and Nevada got to San Jose State early in a 15-1 blowout victory.
Fresno State will face San Jose State in the second game of the day Friday at 3:00. Sacramento State and Louisiana Tech start the day with an elimination game at 11:00 a.m., and Hawai'i and Nevada close out the day in a 7 p.m. matchup.
