Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
New Mexico
'Dogs Earn Historic Win at New Mexico
3/28/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
By: Matt Burkholder
mburkholder@csufresno.edu
GoBulldogs.com
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - The Fresno State baseball team earned an historic win on Saturday, defeating New Mexico on their home field for the first time in school history. With an 8-1 win at Lobo Field, the Bulldogs takeover sole possession of third place in the Mountain West, improving to 7-4 in league play, while the Lobos drop one game back to 6-5.
Runs were hard to come by for both teams until Fresno State (16-12, 7-4) broke open the game in the ninth. The Bulldogs plated five runs on four hits as the team batted around the order. Entering the ninth, Fresno State had scratched across three runs over three different innings for a 3-1 lead, aided each time from either a New Mexico error or just a break that went the Bulldogs way.
"When we had those games at Oregon State and we were blowing the ball up eight or nine times a game for outs, I don't remember anyone feeling sorry for us," said head coach Mike Batesole." We got a couple breaks today, but we've earned a couple breaks."
Fresno State's first run came in the second when Jake Stone led off with a triple to centerfield, a ball that towered high into Albuquerque's sunny skies and got lost by the Lobo defense. Joe Prior hit a ground out to second on the next at-bat to score Stone.
New Mexico (13-11, 6-5) tied the game in the fourth, a solo shot to right field off starter Anthony Arias. That would be the only run surrendered by Arias on an afternoon he allowed five hits in 4 2/3 innings of work in his fourth career start.
Fresno State regained the lead 2-1 in the fifth without a hit as the Lobos loaded the bases on two walks and a hit by pitch. Taylor Tempel hit a sacrifice fly to plate the go-ahead run.
With Tim Borst on the mound dealing for the Bulldogs in the sixth, the games' momentum took a roller coaster ride after the junior found himself in a bases loaded jam having allowed the first three batters to reach - walk, single, hit-by-pitch. Borst seized the game, working out of the bases loaded jam without allowing a run to score. He induced a groundout double play that was followed by a strikeout to leave the Lobos with two runners on base and a zero on the scoreboard.
New Mexico committed its third and fourth errors of the game in the seventh, allowing the Bulldogs to score an unearned run to up its advantage to 3-1.
The Bulldogs sealed the game in the ninth, which started with the first four Bulldogs that went to bat reaching safely. The fourth hitter, Taylor Ward, hit a two-RBI single to score two of the first five runs that crossed the plate during the ninth inning onslaught.
Borst (4-2) earned the win in 2 2/3 innings of relief work. Casey Rodriguez and Jake Shull both helped him out of the eighth by getting one-out each to close the inning he started. Mark Reece finished the game in the ninth. One hit was allowed by the trio of relievers to follow Borst.
"We played 18 guys today, which for this team is almost becoming the norm," added Batesole. "We have guys that really understand and really take pride in their roles very unselfishly."
Saturday's win for Fresno State snaps the Lobos seven-game win streak against the Bulldogs and also breaks the Lobos unblemished home record against the 'Dogs. Fresno State entered the game 0-10 all-time on the road at New Mexico.
Fresno State will go for the series win on Sunday at 11 a.m. PT.
"Be Bold!" - The official home of the Fresno State Bulldogs is 940 AM ESPN Radio.
