Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
San Diego State
Bulldogs Drop Home Finale, 11-8
5/17/2014 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 17, 2014
By: Matt Burkholder
mburkholder@csufresno.edu
GoBulldogs.com
FRESNO, Calif. - A disastrous sixth inning was enough to spoil Fresno State's regular season finale on Saturday afternoon at Beiden Field as San Diego State jumped on the Bulldogs for six runs off three hits and three errors. After 10 plate appearances, the Aztecs seized the momentum in front of 1,283 fans in attendance for Jake Alvarez' Senior Day and owned an 8-5 lead after the frame. Down the stretch, both teams traded runs and by the time of the final out, Fresno State fell 11-8 to finish 27-27 overall and 13-17 in Mountain West play, ending the regular season.
By virtue of San Diego State's win and Nevada losing to UNLV 4-2, the Wolf Pack secured the No. 4 seed to set up an opening round matchup vs. the No. 5 seed Bulldogs in the 2014 Mountain West Baseball Tournament. Game time has been set for 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 21 in Las Vegas, Nev. between Fresno State and Nevada, the Bulldogs won the season series four games to two.
William Munro made his ninth start on Saturday and pitched a gem in five innings of work. The Aztecs scattered six hits for two runs (one earned) during the outing and Munro had the Bulldogs in the lead 5-2 at the time of his exit.
The Bulldogs scored two runs in the second and three runs in the third, both off two-out home runs. After allowing the game's first run in the top of the second, Brody Russell connected for a two-run home run, his third homer this season to put the Bulldogs in front 2-1. The 'Dogs answered again in the third after surrendering a single run in the top of the third, as Taylor Ward hit a three-run bomb in the bottom of the third to put the Bulldogs on top 5-2. It was his sixth homer in 2014.
Jake Shull entered in relief for Munro in the sixth, a leadoff double followed by a fielding error, an RBI single, and then a hit-by-pitch, ended Shull's outing before an out could be recorded. The Bulldogs went to the bullpen for Jimmy Lambert. Lambert inherited the bases loaded. The next run was walked home, the third and fourth runs scored on a fielder choice and errant throw home by Trent Woodward. The fifth run came home due to a throwing error to second by Ward in attempt to pick off Greg Allen stealing. The sixth run of the inning scored on an RBI single. In all, six runs scored on three hits, three errors, a hit-by-pitch and base on balls.
Both teams scored three times down the stretch that led to the final score of 11-8. SDSU and Fresno State scored twice in the seventh; the Aztecs tallied one more in eighth while Fresno State tacked on one more in the ninth.
Fresno State will travel to Las Vegas next for the Mountain West Baseball Tournament, held May 21-25. It is a double elimination format and the 'Dogs are guaranteed games Wednesday and Thursday.
"Catch the Wave" - The official home of the Fresno State Bulldogs is 940 AM ESPN Radio.
