Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
UCSB
No. 24 Softball Drops Thriller in Eight Innings to UCSB
4/10/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 10, 2007
Fresno, Calif. - The Fresno State softball team had a good chance of ending the game in the bottom of the seventh inning, but UC Santa Barbara narrowly escaped and scored one run in the eighth inning to give Fresno State a 1-0 loss Tuesday night at Bulldog Diamond.
After playing scoreless for the first seven innings, UC Santa Barbara broke the scoreless tie in the eighth inning after Tisha Duran singled and Tiffany Wright tripled to right centerfield to score the only run of the game.
With the loss the Bulldogs fall to 32-14 overall and 16-2 at Bulldog Diamond. UC Santa Barbara improves to 21-14 with the win.
The two teams were scheduled to face each other in a doubleheader, but UC Santa Barbara had travel problems and arrived to Bulldog Diamond late. After long discussions the teams decided on playing a single game, which started at 7 p.m.
Offensively, the Bulldogs managed two hits, one from Haley Perkins to lead off the game and one from Nichole Willis in the seventh inning.
Robin Mackin was solid on the mound, throwing eight innings, allowing one run on six hits, while striking out six batters.
Both teams continued to battle in a pitchers' duel with no runs and only one hit on the board for both teams. The Bulldogs got their one hit in the first inning and UC Santa Barbara picked up its lone hit in the fourth inning.
After the Gauchos recorded one hit in the fourth, they went on to add one hit in the next three innings.
The Bulldogs best chance came in the bottom of the seventh inning when Nichole Willis doubled down the right field line with two outs. Robin Mackin followed Willis with a line drive in the right centerfield gap, but right fielder Jessica Ziegler tracked down the ball for the final out.
Fresno State returns to action Friday, April 13 when it travels to Las Cruces to face New Mexico State. The first game of the three-game series begins at 6 p.m. Friday night. The two teams play a doubleheader Saturday, April 14 beginning at 2 p.m.
