Fresno State Athletics
Dogs Open the WAC Season at Hawaii
3/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 21, 2008
HONOLULU - With All-America candidate Tanner Scheppers and his puny ERA taking the mound, the Bulldog baseball team always has a great chance to win baseball games. That is, of course, if they can score a few runs.
Scheppers had a workman-like performance Thursday night against WAC rival Hawaii, but his Rainbow counterpart Jared Alexander kept the Dogs in check allowing just four hits over nine innings in a 4-0 Hawaii win. It marked the first time the Dogs have been shutout this season.
It was the opening WAC game for both schools and the beginning of a four-game series at beautiful Les Murakami Stadium on the Hawaii campus.
The Bows scored two runs in the bottom of the second inning and added one more in the fifth.
The lone bright spot for the Dogs during that time was a well-hit double by left fielder Steve Susdorf in the second inning that bounced high off the centerfield wall, just missing a home run by a matter of a few feet. Alan Ahmady with two hits and Danny Muno were the only other Dogs with hits in the game.
Scheppers allowed just five hits and struck out a career-high 11 while allowing just two earned runs. He had a scary moment in the second inning when he fell to the ground injured after slipping off the mound. He did bounce back and returned to the game and finished six innings. His record falls to 3-2 on the season. His only other loss was to No. 12 San Diego. He has 50 strikeouts in five games for the Dogs, leading the Western Athletic Conference.
Jake Floethe came in relief for the Dogs in the seventh inning, but the Bows added one more run to run the score to 4-0. The Bows left the bases loaded in the inning as Jake Hower came out if the bullpen and earned a strikeout to get the Dogs out of a bind.
Fresno State tried to rally in the eighth inning when Ryan Overland drew a walk and Muno singled to left with two outs. But Alexander struck out pinch hitter Jordan Ribera on three pitches to get out of the inning.
In the ninth, the Dogs had runners on first and third with one out but Alexander closed out the inning and earned the complete game shutout.
The Dogs were led on the field by assistant coach Matt Curtis, who was pinch-hitting for head coach Mike Batesole while he sat out the final game of a WAC-mandated two-game suspension. Batesole will return to the Bulldog dugout for Friday's game.
The Dogs continue their four-game series against Hawaii on Friday night at 9:35 p.m. PT and then a Saturday double-header that begins at 4:05 pm. PT. All of the games 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 this weekend, 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.
