Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
UNLV
Long Ball Helps 'Dogs End Skid
2/27/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
By: Andrew Rich
arich1221@mail.fresnostate.edu
GoBulldogs.com
FRESNO, Calif. -- The Fresno State baseball team used an early offensive barrage to propel it to a 10-5 win over UNLV on Friday night at Pete Beiden Field. The win snapped a five-game losing streak.
The Bulldogs got to Rebel starter Bryan Bonnell right off the bat as sophomore leadoff hitter Austin Guibor hit the second pitch he saw over the right field fence for a 1-0 lead. The homer gave Fresno State its first runs in the opening frame this season.
"I was just seeing the ball really well and was trying to put our team in position to win," Guibor said. "I'm not a power hitter, but it's nice to get under a couple of balls and let them fly. Momentum is a killer."
But, the first inning scoring wasn't done there. After Jake Stone was retired, Taylor Ward and Kevin Viers each worked walks bringing up Manny Argomaniz. The sophomore smoked the first pitch he saw down the left field line and snuck it just inside the foul pole for a three-run home run.
Bonnell was back in trouble in the second.
Guibor reached with a one out bunt single and Stone followed that up with a shot to centerfield that just got over the outstretched glove of UNLV's Joey Armstrong. Guibor scored on the play and Fresno State had a 5-0 lead. Two batters later, Bonnell, who entered the game 1-0 with a 0.93 earned run average, was out of the game after just 1.2 innings of work.
While Bonnell struggled, Bulldog starter Jimmy Lambert was working in the exact opposite form. The sophomore righty didn't allow a Rebel hit until there were two outs in the top of the fifth. He worked 7.1 innings, allowing five runs on seven hits and struck out seven with just one walk to earn the second win of his college career.
"That was definitely the plan for all of us, just going in, limit the walks," Lambert said. "It's been a problem for me and for a few other guys, but we knew we could throw strikes. We know that's the type of pitchers we are."
Guibor finished the game 3-for-3 with three runs scored while hitting out of the leadoff spot for the second time this season. Ward finished 2-for-4 with a solo home run in the fifth. Fresno State hit three home runs in a game for the second time this season.
The Bulldogs and Rebels will hook up again on Saturday night at 6:35 p.m., at Beiden Field for game two of the three game Mountain West Conference series. Fresno State sends lefty Dylan Lee to the mound against UNLV's D.J. Myers.
"Be Bold! - The official home of the Fresno State Bulldogs is 940 AM ESPN Radio.
