Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
ETSU
Two Home Runs Lift `Dogs Over ETSU
3/11/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 11, 2010
FRESNO, Calif. - The Fresno State bats came alive on opening night of the Bayer CropScience Classic as the 'Dogs got seven runs on seven hits in a 7-2 win over East Tennessee State at Bulldog Diamond on Thursday. The 'Dogs improve to 12-8 on the season.
Michelle Moses got the start in the circle for the 'Dogs, her third of the year. She struck out the first three outs of the game.
Moses hit her fourth home run of the year, a solo shot in the bottom of the fourth down the right field line. With that home run, she now ties Lindsay Fossatti for eighth all-time in school history with 15 career home runs.
ETSU starting pitcher Marissa Hardy walked Caitlin Stiglich and Nicole Angene to lead off the bottom of the second.
In her first at bat of her Bulldog career, Diane Runge got a single to left field to drive in Stiglich for a 2-0 lead. A sacrifice fly to center field by Haley Gilleland drove in the second run of the inning for a 3-0 lead after two innings.
Runge got her first career start in center field and Stiglich got her first career start at first base.
"It was definitely exciting. I had a lot of fun," Runge said of her first career start. "The girls were behind me 100 percent. I was very glad to come through for the team. The girls calmed me down and that they knew I could do it." A two-run home run by Trisha Massenzo off of Moses cut the lead to 3-2. Moses left with two outs in the third after allowing two runs on three hits.
Mackenzie Oakes entered to replace Moses in the circle. Oakes went 4.1 innings and allowed just one hit while strikeout out four. She got the win ti improve to 5-3.
Moses singled to lead off the bottom of the third and reached third on a sacrifice bunt by Courtney Moore.
Stiglich hit her first home run of the season, a two-run bomb on top of the berm in left field for a 5-2 Bulldog lead after three innings.
After a walk to lead off the fifth inning to Andrea Ortega, Hardy left and was replaced in the circle by Jessica Duncan for ETSU. Duncan walked Moses and then gave up a single to Moore and a sacrifice fly to Stiglich that drove in Moses. A single by Nicole Angene drove in Moore as the 'Dogs got two more runs in the innings and took a 7-2 lead.
"I think we are a very deep team and we showed that tonight," said head coach Margie Wright. "We needed to try to generate a better offense and I feel like we did that tonight. Sometimes you just need to make some adjustments and give other people a shot. We got the bats going tonight and it was nice to see a couple of really good home runs. That was very exciting for us."
Cal State Northridge defeated Colorado State 3-1 in eight innings in the first game of the tournament. The Bayer CropScience Classic continues on Friday as the "Dogs host Colorado State at 7 p.m.
Live Audio/Stats/Streaming
Live stats for all games this week, including non-Fresno State games during the Bayer CropScience Classic will be provided via gametracker at www.gobulldogs.com. The gametracker links for the Bayer CropScience Classic are available on the tournament website at: http://www.gobulldogs.com/sports/w-softbl/spec-rel/10-bayer-cropscience-classic.html. All Fresno State games can be heard live on 790 the Deuce, ESPN Radio with Nick Papagni calling all of the action from Bulldog Diamond. Beginning this week, Fresno State fans will also have the opportunity to watch live video streaming of all home softball games for a small free via Fresno State All-Access. Fans can purchase the package and watch live events for many Fresno State sports including press conferences and special features.
Vote Now for the All-Decade Team
Fresno State Athletics is giving its fans a chance to vote for their favorite student-athletes from the past decade (2000-2009) in baseball and softball. Voting is open from March 8-21 and the results will be announced on March 23 and March 24. The only requirement to be named to the team is that a student-athlete must have competed at least two years in the decade. Fans will also have a chance to write-in their own candidate in each position if desired.
Click here to vote: http://www.gobulldogs.com/ot/10-basebl-softbl-all-decade-teams.html.
"We Are Your Team" - The 2010 Fresno State softball team continues to host the Bayer CropScience Classic March 12-14.
