Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Houston
`Dogs and Cougars Battle to 10 Innings
3/11/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 11, 2008
FRESNO, Calif. - After falling 3-0 to Houston on Sunday in the Championship game of the Bingham Toyota Classic, the Bulldogs came out with six hits against the Cougars on Tuesday night but fell 1-0 in a heartbreaker in 10 innings. The No. 18 Bulldogs are now 22-5 while No. 13 Houston improves to 22-3.
Haley Perkins, who leads the team in hits with 36 and is second in the WAC, led off the game with an infield single.
Top of the fifth with one out, Christa Raley had the first hit of the game for the Cougars, with a single to right field.
The Bulldogs would get their second hit of the game, another infield single by Ashley White in the bottom of the fitth.
Freshman outfielder Andrea Ortega, who leads the team in hitting with a .417 average, hit a blooper to right field with one out in the bottom of the sixth. Haley Gilleland would then hit a single of her own but the Bulldogs would not be able to get a runner across.
The game would go to extra innings, just the second of the year for either team. Houston played Texas to nine innings two weeks ago while the Bulldogs did the same against James Madison. Both teams were victorious.
Ortega would have her second two-hit game of the season as she hit a two-out single to center in the bottom of the eighth, but she would be left on base.
Laurie Wagner would hit the Cougars second hit of the game in the top of the 10th. Katy Beth Sherman would pinch run for her and reach third on an error off a sacrifice bunt by Amanda Grote. Grote would reach second with no outs for Houston.
The Cougars starting pitcher Angel Shamblin would hit a sacrifice fly to right field and score Sherman from third and that would be enough for the Cougars to take the game.
Shamblin improves to 12-1 on the season while Melloh is 13-3. Melloh had eight strikeouts and threw just a two hitter, her second of the season.
Fresno State is 3-4 against top 25 teams this season.
The `Dogs will take on No. 8/11 Oklahoma in a single game at Bulldog Diamond Thursday at 5 p.m. The game can be heard live on 790 ESPN Radio the Deuce with Paul Swearengin calling the action.
"Join the State- Fresno State!" - For tickets log on to www.gobulldogs.com or call (559) 278-DOGS.
