Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Air Force (DH2)
Bulldogs Swept in Doubleheader
4/18/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
By: Matt Burkholder
mburkholder@csufresno.edu
GoBulldogs.com
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. - The Fresno State baseball team dropped both games of a weather induced doubleheader to Air Force at Falcon Field on Saturday. The Bulldogs lost the first game 2-1 and the second 10-1.
Air Force won in walk-off fashion for its first win. Bulldog starter Jake Shull's first pitch in the bottom of ninth was hit over the left field fence by Spencer Draws. It marked Fresno State's 11th one-run loss this season.
Shull (2-5), outdone in a pitcher's duel, allowed just two earned runs on five hits in his second start of the season. Air Force starter Griffin Jax (3-6) surrendered one run on seven Bulldog hits. Both pitchers went the distance.
Fresno State hit into four double plays in a game they outhit Air Force seven to five, two of which came in the eighth and ninth innings.
Joe Prior registered the third hit against Griffin in the sixth. The double was Prior's third of the season and only extra-base hit allowed by Jax on Saturday. Prior turned the double into the game-tying run at the time, 1-1. He advanced to third on a groundout and scored on a passed ball.
Kenny Corey led Fresno State in hits in game one, going 2-for-4 from the plate.
After a short one hour, 39 minute opening game for Saturday's doubleheader, game two began at 2:20 p.m. MT.
Air Force sealed the second game with a five-run seventh inning that put the Falcons on top 9-1. AF batted around the order and scored five times on four hits, one error and four walks. Bulldog reliever Casey Rodriguez made the final out of the seventh after the Falcons hit three consecutive two-out singles against starter Jimmy Lambert.
Manny Argomaniz scored Fresno State's one run of the second game in the fourth. He reached base to lead off the inning on a strikeout wild pitch. He would advance to third on two more wild pitches, and then score on an Aaron Arruda RBI infield single.
Lambert (2-1) was issued the game two loss and Steven Trojan (5-2) was credited the win in relief.
Entering Saturday, Fresno State had been held to one-run or less five different times 37 games into the season - of the five, one was a shutout as the `Dogs dropped a 1-0 decision to UC Davis on March 15.
The Bulldogs drop to 18-21 overall and 9-8 in Mountain West play after the two losses. Air Force improved to 18-19 and 10-10 in MW action. Fresno State is now 2-16 on the road, while the Falcons improved to 10-1 at home.
The Sunday finale is scheduled for 12 p.m. PT. Air Force announced its starter to be southpaw Trent Monaghan (4-2, 2.15 ERA) while Fresno State's starter is to be announced.
"Be Bold!" - The official home of the Fresno State Bulldogs is 940 AM ESPN Radio.
