Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Gonzaga
Dogs One-Hit Zags in Pepsi Johnny Quik
3/13/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 13, 2008
FRESNO, Calif. - For the first time in the 30th Annual Pepsi Johnny Quik tournament, the Dogs jumped to an early lead in the game, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back in a 10-1 win over Gonzaga. The Bulldogs scored in six of eight innings while knocking out 12 hits in the game.
As important as their prowess at the plate, Fresno State's pitching and defense was instrumental in the win. The Dogs only allowed one hit all night.
Fresno State scored two inning in the first inning when Todd Sandell and Erik Wetzel scored. Wetzel entered the game with a 13-game hitting streak and a team-best .393 batting average. Alan Ahmady drove in Wetzel for his ninth RBI of the season.
Freshman Jordan Ribera led off the second inning with a solo homerun to right field, the first of his career, giving the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead after three innings.
Sandell added a homerun to lead off the fifth inning, his second of the 2008 season and 11th of his career.
Steve Detwiler added his third homerun in less than a week with a gigantic shot to straight away centerfield that cleared the screen, driving in Ahmady. That gave the Dogs an 8-0 lead after seven innings. Fresno State added two more runs in the eighth inning. Sandell added an RBI double that scored Danny Muno. Sandell later scored Fresno State's final run on a Gonzaga error. He finished the game going 5-for-5 with three RBIs. Detwiler added two hits and two RBIs.
Bulldog junior pitcher Justin Miller didn't allow a hit through the first five-and-a-third innings while earning his second win of the season. His best inning was in the sixth when he got out of a bases-loaded jam with one out. He repeated that feat in the seventh inning. He finished the night with seven complete innings, allowing one hit and striking out four while tossing 90 pitches in the game.
Muno started in centerfield Thursday night, the fourth position he's played this season (right field, shortstop and designated hitter). Muno was 3-for-4 on the night, drew a walk and drove in one run.
Utah beat Indiana 11-2 in the afternoon game to improve to 3-1 in the tournament while the Hoosiers feel to 2-2. New Mexico State beat Portland 10-2 and both teams stand 2-2 in the tournament.
The Dogs play the Utes on Friday. Fresno State is expected to throw All-America candidate Tanner Scheppers in the game. Scheppers has 39 strikeouts in 19 innings of action this season, while allowing just four walks. He has a 1.42 ERA on the season.
In other games scheduled for Friday, Indiana plays Portland at 10 a.m. and New Mexico State plays Gonzaga at 2 p.m.
The 30th Annual Pepsi Johnny Quik concludes Saturday with three games.
"Join the State - Fresno State!" - The Fresno State baseball team continues an eight-game home stand with the six-team Pepsi/Johnny Quik Tournament March 10-15. For information on an All-Tournament ticket package, log on to www.gobulldogs.com and click on Tickets.
