Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Nevada (Game 2)
Bulldogs Take Series from Nevada
3/24/2012 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 24, 2012
By Jason Clay
jaclay@csufresno.edu
GoBulldogs.com
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
FRESNO, Calif. - The Fresno State softball team won its first conference series of the season, as the Bulldogs split their doubleheader at Nevada Saturday to take the series two games to one.
Nevada (9-22, 1-2 WAC) won game one 4-3 on a walk-off single from Ashley Butera in the bottom of the seventh. A grand slam in game two from Michelle Moses lifted the Bulldogs (21-13, 2-1) to a 7-3 victory.
Fresno State has now won its first conference series to start a season nine years in a row.
"I honestly give these guys a lot of credit for being able to fight back in the second game because that first one was just an absolute heartbreaker," head coach Margie Wright said.
The Bulldogs had 22 hits in the two games and Vonnie Martin led the team with three hits in game one and four in game two. Moses hit two home runs on the day, including her fourth career grand slam in the second game, to increase her WAC-leading home run total to 12 on the season.
Fresno State had 12 hits in the first game, tying the most the `Dogs have posted in a road game this season. However, the Bulldogs stranded a season-high 13 runners on base in the 4-3 loss when they held a 3-0 lead after five innings.
The Bulldogs' three runs came off a solo homer from Moses in the third and RBI singles from Brooke Ortiz and Michelle Solomon in the fifth.
Nevada climbed back into it with two runs in the sixth and then with one out and the bases loaded in the seventh, Butera singled to left center to bring home the two winning runs for the Wolf Pack.
Moses drew the loss in game one, dropping her record to 11-9 on the season.
Martin started off the second game with a solo home run to left field in the first inning. It was her fourth home run this season.
The Wolf Pack took a 3-1 lead in the second, but the Bulldogs tied it up in the third and then in the fourth, Moses hit a grand slam to give Fresno State a 7-3 lead.
That was all that Fresno State would need to take game two, as senior pitcher Mackenzie Oakes went on for the complete game victory to improve her record to 8-3 on the year. Oakes scattered eight hits and had one strikeout and one walk.
"I'm really proud of [Mackenzie], she did a nice job," Wright said. "It's tough when you're on Nevada's home field. They just chip away and try to mix up your defense... so I just give her a lot of credit for being really good and being able to come out of that."
Notes: Courtney Moore tied her career-high in game one with three hits, one of which was a double ... Michelle Moses' grand slam in game two was the 31st in program history and the fourth of her career, which ties her with Caitlin Stiglich for the second most in program history.
"We Are Your Team" - ESPN2 790 AM is your home for Fresno State Softball.
