Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Washington State
No. 17 Dogs Tame Cougars
3/17/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 17, 2011
FRESNO, Calif. - No. 17 Fresno State baseball won the opening game of the series against Washington State 7-5 on Thursday night. The Bulldogs are 12-2 on the season and are 8-1 at Pete Beiden Field.
The Bulldog win was powered by a solid defensive effort. The Dogs turned three double plays, one of which was an unconventional and well-executed 3-2-3.
The Dogs tallied 10 hits against the Cougars. Junior Brennan Gowens was 3-for-4 at the plate with a triple, a pair of singles and three RBIs. Dusty Robinson and Austin Wynns also recorded multiple hits.
Coming into Thursday's match up the Washington State starter Adam Conley had allowed only three earned runs and the Bulldogs were able to push across seven runs in 6.2 innings.
The Cougars loaded the bases in the top of the first inning, but starter Derek Benny and the Dogs defense retired the inning leaving three WSU batters stranded.
Gowens single up the middle to jump-start the Bulldog offense in the bottom of the first inning. Senior Garrett Weber followed with a back knock through the left side. The Dogs scored first taking a 1-0 lead over Washington State after Robinson hit an RBI double to left field.
The Cougars tied the game 1-1 in the top of the second inning scoring a run on a sacrifice fly to right field.
Wynns hit a stand up double down the left field line and advanced to third base on a wild pitch. Second baseman Pat Hutcheson hit a sacrifice fly to left field that allowed Wynns to score and the Bulldogs regained the lead 2-1 in the second inning.
Benny struck out two Cougar batters in 2.1 innings of work.
Washington State scored three runs in the third inning taking a 4-2 lead over the Bulldogs.
Fresno State rallied in the fourth inning with two outs scoring four runs. Judge singled to left field. The next at-bat Wynns hit a single to center field as Judge advanced to third base. Hutcheson reached base on an error by the first baseman allowing Judge to score and the Dogs trailed 4-3.
Senior Danny recorded his 14th walk of the season to load the bases. Gowens launched a triple into the gap in right field to clear the bases and give the Dogs the lead 6-4.
Josh Poytress earned his first win of the year on the mound. He fanned three in three innings pitched.
The Cougars answered with a solo home run in the fifth inning cutting the Dogs lead 6-5.
Shortstop Garrett Weber made a brilliant diving play behind second base and from the ground turned the Bulldogs second double play of the night. Fresno State has successfully fielded 15 double plays this year.
Cody Kendall threw 2.2 scoreless innings of relief and struck out two.
Gowens led off the seventh inning with a single through the right side. Weber bunted Gowens into scoring position with his first sacrifice hit of the year. Robinson hit his second RBI double to right field and the Dogs increase their lead 7-5.
In the top of the eighth inning, the Bulldogs got out of a bases loaded jam without allowing a Cougar to cross home plate. Ribera forced the out at home and Wynns threw it straight back to first base for the double play. The next batter flew out to retire the inning.
Robinson threw a Cougar runner out at home in the top of the ninth inning to preserve the Dogs 7-5 lead.
Right-hander Charlie Robertson closed the game in the ninth inning and earned his seventh save in his seventh appearance on the mound. Robertson is yet to allow a run and sports a 0.00 ERA. The Bulldogs went on to win the first game of the series 7-5.
"We Are Your Team!" The Bulldogs continue the four-game series against the Cougars on Friday, March 18 at 6:05 p.m. The Dogs close out the non-conference schedule at home with series against Ohio State, San Diego and San Francisco.
