Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
No. 11/11 California
No. 11 Cal Grinds Past Bulldogs
3/13/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
FRESNO, Calif. - The Fresno State softball team ran into a red-hot No. 11/11 California Golden Bear squad that slapped and clawed their way past the Dogs 6-2 to close the 2011 Bayer CropScience Classic on Sunday afternoon.
After Bulldog senior Haley Gilleland opened the scoring in the bottom of the first, the Bears tallied the next five runs before staving off a late Fresno State charge.
"I think they just made great plays," head coach Margie Wright said of longtime rival Cal's combination of pitching, hitting and defense.
Michelle Moses, who started the game in the circle for Fresno State and fell to 5-3 on the season, reflected on the team's progress over the past week.
"We went 5-1 and we know what we need to work on to get better," Moses noted.
Wright, who remains one win shy of her 1400th career victory as a Division I head coach, and the Dogs will first play Bradley on Tuesday night at 6 p.m. before heading down to Fullerton for the annual Judi Garmen Classic later in the week.
"I feel good going into next week," Wright added.
In Fullerton, Fresno State (13-5) will face a gauntlet of tough competition that includes three teams currently ranked in the Top 25 (Washington, Texas and Michigan) along with Penn State and Illinois.
2011 Bayer CropScience Classic All-Tournament Team
Most Valuable Player: Jamia Reed, California
Mackenzie Oakes, Fresno State
Alison Kresl, Bradley
Jolene Henderson, California
Lindsey Vande Wall, Drake
Amanda Fitzsimmons, Idaho State
Hayden Gann, Troy
2011 Bayer CropScience Classic Final Records
No. 11/11 California (4-0)
Fresno State (5-1)
Bradley (2-3)
Drake (2-3)
Troy (2-3)
Idaho State (1-6)
"We Are Your Team!" --- Fresno State finishes a seven-game homestand on Tuesday night against Bradley at 6 p.m. Fans can purchase tickets by logging on to www.gobulldogs.com, calling 559-278-DOGS or by visiting the Bulldog Ticket Office.
