Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
San Francisco
Dons Beat Dogs in San Francisco
3/18/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 18, 2008
FRESNO, Calif. - After jumping to an early 5-1 lead at Benedetti Diamond on the University of San Francisco campus, the Fresno State baseball team looked like it was prepared to pick-up where it left off at the end of the Pepsi Johnny Quik Classic.
However, the Dogs' lead couldn't hold the lead against the Dons who won the game 13-8. USF racked up 19 hits in the game, while the Dogs scored their runs on seven hits. The loss snapped Fresno State's three-game winning streak.
San Francisco entered the weekend with an 8-10 record was playing at home for just the third time all season. USF opened the season getting a split in a four-game series at Hawaii.
Senior Clayton Allison, the 2008 WAC Preseason Pitcher of the Year, started for the fourth time this season. Allison went three and a third innings and allowed four earned runs. Fresno State used six pitchers in the game. Holden Sprague drew the loss, dropping his record to 0-2 on the season.
The Dogs opened the game with two runs early as Todd Sandell and Erik Wetzel drew walks in the top of the first inning. Steve Susdorf then flew out to the deepest part of the park, advancing Sandell and Wetzel to third and second, respectively. Alan Ahmady then cleared the bases with a single to left. The Dons answered in the bottom half of the first with one run.
In the second inning, the Dogs struck with two outs. Leadoff hitter Danny Muno drew a walk and moved to second on a balk. Sandell walked for the second time in the game. Wetzel then tripled to right center, his first of the season and eighth of his career, that gave the Dogs a 4-1 lead.
Fresno State extended its lead to 5-1 in the top of the third when Ahmady hit a solo homerun to straight away center field, his first of the season, and his third RBI in the game. His three RBIs were a new career-high. USF added one run in the bottom of the fifth inning to cut the lead to 5-2. USF scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a 6-5 lead in the game.
The Dons added six more in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a 12-5 lead.
The Bulldogs got two back in the top of the seventh inning when Tommy Mendonca hit a two-run double with one out, his 13th RBI of the season.
USF added one more on the eighth and Wetzel scored again in the ninth to make the final score 13-8.
Fresno State played the game without head coach Mike Batesole, who was suspended by the WAC Tuesday for two games. Batesole will also miss Fresno State's WAC opener against Hawaii in Honolulu. The suspension was from Fresno State's Indiana game on March 12 in which both benches left their dugouts during an altercation on the field.
The Dogs travel to Hawaii for a four-game series to open the WAC season. Fresno State will play one game on Thursday and Friday, with a Saturday afternoon double-header in Honolulu. All of the game will be live on KMJ radio.
"Join the State - Fresno State!" -
The Fresno State baseball team begins a quest for three consecutive Western Athletic Conference Championships on Thursday, when the Dogs travel to Hawaii for a four-game series at Les Murakami Stadium in Honolulu. The Dogs return home March 24 against Cal Poly. Log on to www.gobulldogs.com and click on Tickets.
