Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
San Diego State
`Dogs Stay Alive With Two Wins
5/22/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 22, 2010
WESTWOOD, Calif. - On the brink of elimination, the Fresno State softball team got two huge wins Saturday night at Easton Stadium on the campus of UCLA to advance to its third-straight NCAA Regional Championship on Sunday.
The `Dogs shutout St. Mary's 6-0 in game one to eliminate the Gaels and then defeated San Diego State 4-3 to eliminate the Aztecs. It was Fresno State's first win in three tries this season against the Aztecs.
Fresno State (41-20) will face No. 5 UCLA in the championship beginning at noon. Fresno State will need two wins to advance to the Super Regionals.
"I said to the team no matter what you got to fight for your softball life today and I think our team did a great job," said head coach Margie Wright.
Game One - Fresno State 6, St. Mary's 0
Haley Gilleland led off the first with a single up the middle off of Britany Linton. She stole second base on the first pitch to Andrea Ortega. It was her 21st of the season and the 59th of her career.
Ortega singled to the second baseman and reached second as Gilleland tried to score from second but was thrown out at the plate.
Caitlin Stiglich drew a walk to lead off the fourth. Kaylan Pollard entered to pinch run and reached second on a single by Alexis Lujan.
A single by Nicole Angene in the first pitch of her at bat down the left field line drove in Pollard for a 1-0 Bulldog lead.
St. Mary's threatened with two on and two outs in the sixth, but Melloh got her 10th strikeout of the game against pinch hitter Megan Smith to get out of the jam.
After a walk for Lujan to lead off the sixth, Angene hit a two-run home run to put the `Dogs up 3-0. It was the sixth home run of the season for the third baseman.
Brooke Phipps doubled to left center and Gilleland hit her fourth home run of the season to left field off of the foul pool for a 5-0 lead.
Michelle Moses hit a double to left field and reached third on an error by the St. Mary's left fielder. Moses scored on an infield single by Courtney Moore.
The Gaels had the bases loaded with one out in the seventh, but Melloh got Kayla Gonzales to ground out and struck out Michelle Mounts to finish the complete game shutout.
It was the 40th win of the season for the `Dogs and Melloh improved to 18-10 with 12 strikeouts in the game. She allowed just four hits while pitching her fifth shutout on the season.
Linton got the loss for SMC and she allowed five runs on nine hits and ends the season at 17-13. St. Mary's is eliminated from the NCAA Tourney and finished the season 30-23.
Game Two - Fresno State 4, SDSU 3
Ortega had a one-out single for the `Dogs in the first, the first hit for Fresno State off of Samantha Beasley. Moses drew a walk as the `Dogs had two on for Moore.
Moore jumped on the first pitch for a three-run home run to left her, her seventh of the season, to put the `Dogs up 3-0.
Stiglich was hit by a pitch, followed by a Lujan single. After an Angene walk, a single up the middle by Becca Walker drove in the fourth run of the game.
The Aztecs got on the board in the third with a solo home run by Jen Wiseneski with one out.
San Diego State got another run in the fourth with a bases loaded walk from Moses to pinch hitter Kamerin May. A single by Jessica Camello cut the Bulldog lead to 4-3.
Moses got the win to improve to 12-2 on the year. She allowed three runs on five hits with two strikeouts.
Beasley got the loss for SDSU, allowing four runs on three hits in 0.1 innings. Bailey Micetich was great in relief for the Aztecs, allowing just one hit in 5.2 innings.
"We came out today and we knew we had to fight," said Moore. "We knew it was now or never. We came out in the first inning and wanted to give Michelle some run support and that was all we needed."
2010 NCAA Division I Softball Championship
Regionals: Easton Stadium - Los Angeles, Calif. (UCLA)
Friday, May 21, 2010 Game 1: San Diego State 3, Fresno State 2
Game 2: No. 5 UCLA 11, St. Mary's 4
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Game 3: No. 5 UCLA 4, SDSU 3
Game 4: Fresno State 6, St. Mary's 0
Game 5: Fresno State 4, SDSU 3
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Game 6: No. 5 UCLA vs. Fresno State, Noon PT
Game 7: If necessary, 2:30 p.m. PT
"We Are Your Team" - The Bulldogs will face No. 5 UCLA Sunday at noon in the NCAA Los Angeles Regional Championship.
