Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
*Hawai'i
No. 25 Softball Splits Doubleheader With No. 16 Hawaii
4/21/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 21, 2007
Honolulu, Hawaii - The Fresno State softball team bounced back on Saturday afternoon to earn a split with Hawaii in a doubleheader at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. No. 25 Fresno State won the first game 6-2, while No. 16 Hawaii won the second game 2-1.
In a battle for first place in the WAC, the Bulldogs fell to 9-3 in conference play and 36-16 overall. Hawaii improved to 13-2 in conference and 42-9 overall.
To start the second game, both teams traded solo home runs. Hawaii hit a solo home run in the bottom of the first, but the Bulldogs answered when Nichole Willis hit her second solo home run of the day.
Hawaii added another solo home run in the third inning and took a 2-1 lead into the sixth inning. Fresno State's best opportunity to add some more runs came in the top of the sixth, when it got two runners on with Kristin Sylvester at the plate. Hawaii's pitcher Kate Robinson got Sylvester to swing through the third strike after a long battle.
Fresno State had one last opportunity in the top of the seventh with the bases loaded and two outs. Lisamarie Coronado hit a hard ground ball up the middle but Hawaii second baseman Alana Power made a tough stop and tagged second base for the final out of the game.
Merryann Barr pitched six solid innings, allowing two runs on six hits for the Bulldogs. Nichole Willis went 2 for 3 with one RBI from the plate.
In the first game, the Bulldogs were solid from the first pitch. Fresno State got on the board first, scoring two runs in the top of the third inning. The Bulldogs added one in the sixth and three in the seventh for the 6-2 victory.
Robin Mackin was outstanding in the circle, carrying a no-hitter into the sixth inning. Overall Mackin finished with nine strikeouts and didn't allow an earned run. She improved to 27-9 on the year with the victory.
Kristin Sylvester came up with the big hit of the inning, driving in two runs with a two-out single up the middle, scoring Ashley White and Haley Perkins.
Fresno State received an insurance run in the top of the sixth inning when Nichole Willis hit a solo home run to deep left field.
The Bulldogs rounded out the scoring with a huge three-run home run by Jenna Cervantez in the seventh.
Fresno State returns to WAC action on Friday, April 27 when it hosts Louisiana Tech for three games. The Bulldogs square off on Friday at 6 p.m. at Bulldog Diamond and play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.
