Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Lipscomb
'Dogs Rally In The Ninth Inning For Win
3/29/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 29, 2009
FRESNO, Calif. - The Fresno State baseball team rallied in the bottom of the ninth inning scoring five runs to earn the 7-6 win over Lipscomb Sunday afternoon. The Bulldogs went 3-1 in a four-game series against the Bisons and improved to 13-10 overall.
The `Dogs scored seven runs on 15 hits and recorded seven RBIs.
"It was as good win. We pitched well played good defense and when you have days like today it's a ticking time bomb on offense," said head coach Mike Batesole. "We didn't give them anything. If you do that with the wind blowing the way it is today you give yourself a chance to win. They made a couple mistakes at the end and we made them pay. We took good at bats all day, we pounded the ball hard it was a matter of time we could feel it ticking. We had a great crowd to pull us threw at the end."
Senior Holden Sprague opened game four by sitting down the Lipscomb batters 1-2-3.
Leadoff batter Brennan Gowens walked. Sophomore Danny Muno also walked advancing Gowens to second base. First baseman Alan Ahamdy singled to left field allowing Gowens to cross home plate giving the Bulldogs an early 1-0 lead.
Ahmady made a great foul catch making the second out of the inning and preventing a Bison runner from scoring.
Lipscomb answered with two runs in the second inning taking a 2-1 lead.
Steve Detwiler singled to the shortstop and advanced to second on a throwing error. Sophomore Jordan Ribera flew out in center field advancing Detwiler to third base. Catcher Danny Grubb singled to shallow left field driving in Detwiler and tying the game at two runs apiece.
The Bisons took a 3-2 lead in the third inning after scoring one run. Lipscomb extended its lead to 4-2 in the fourth inning with a solo home run over the left field wall.
Sprague earned the starting nod on Sunday afternoon. It is the first Sunday start for the right-hander. Sprague struck out four batters in 7 1/3 innings of work.
The Bison hit their second home run of the game giving them the 6-2 lead in the top of the sixth inning.
Third baseman Tom Mendonca extended his hitting streak to nine games after he singled up the middle in the seventh inning.
Freshman Taylor Garrison came out of the Bullpen for the `Dogs. Garrison tied his career-high three strikeouts in a game. He sat down the Lipscomb batters in order in the top of the ninth inning. The freshman earned his third win of the season and has a 3-1 record.
Gowens opened the ninth inning with a double to left center field. Left fielder Dusty Robinson walked. Muno singled to left field and advanced to second on a throwing error. Gowens scored on the error and Robinson advanced to third.
Mendonca cleared the bases with a three-run home run to tie the game 6-6. Mendonca has 11 home runs on the season and 40 in his career. The junior is the second all-time home run hitter in Fresno State history and needs three more to tie the all-time record.
"Our game plan was to get as many runs as we could," said Mendonca. "We were down by four runs and then down by three. We just wanted to get the guy on third to score. I got lucky enough to get a hit, that whole inning we hit the ball well."
The bottom of the ninth rally continued as Ahmady singled to left field. Hedstrom extended his hitting streak to nine games after a successful bunt attempt and Ahmady advanced to second. The next at bat Detwiler also bunted loading the bases. Grubb singled to left field driving Ahmady giving the Bulldogs the 7-6 win.
The Bulldogs hit the road on Tuesday, March 31 and play UC Davis at 2 p.m. The `Dogs return home on Wednesday, April 1 to play UC Davis at 6:05 p.m.
"Join the State, Fresno State!" For Fresno State baseball ticket information call 278-DOGS or log on to gobulldogs.com.
"It was as good win. We pitched well played good defense and when you have days like today it's a ticking time bomb on offense," said head coach Mike Batesole. "We didn't give them anything. If you do that with the wind blowing the way it is today you give yourself a chance to win. They made a couple mistakes at the end and we made them pay. We took good at bats all day, we pounded the ball hard it was a matter of time we could feel it ticking. We had a great crowd to pull us threw at the end."
