Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
San Diego State
'Dogs MW Tournament Run Halted Saturday
5/23/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
By: Matt Burkholder
mburkholder@csufresno.edu
GoBulldogs.com
RENO, Nev. - The Fresno State baseball team dropped a pair of games on Saturday that led to its exit of the Mountain West Baseball Championship tournament. Fresno State fell to New Mexico 9-1 to start the day in the MW tournament winner's bracket, and fell in extra innings to San Diego State in the consolation bracket, 7-6. The Bulldogs 2015 season comes to a close with a 31-28 overall record.
"We played two pretty good ball games, and played hard both games," said head coach Mike Batesole.
After winning its first two games of the MW tournament for this first time since joining the league, Fresno State set itself up for a Friday night bout with New Mexico to decide a berth into the MW Championship Game. Mother Nature changed that schedule after Friday's game was postponed due to the rain that's plagued the Reno area for the entire tournament. The game was moved to 11 a.m. on Saturday, setting up the winner to either advance to championship game or go straight into a doubleheader at 3 p.m. to take on San Diego State - in the consolation bracket.
"The rain wasn't a factor," said Batesole. "It was the same for everybody. The conditions were the same for everybody. We saw some good baseball here today, a couple of pretty good teams getting after each other."
New Mexico came out swinging at 11 a.m. and sent the Bulldogs into the consolation bracket with a 9-1 loss. The Lobos continued their offensive barrage that's propelled them throughout the tournament, starting with one in the first inning and another in the second - UNM entered its game having scored in 11 of 13 innings of play in the MW tournament. The Lobos scored in six of nine innings for its nine runs off 12 hits, which included three home runs against Fresno State redshirt freshman starter Anthony Arias.
Offensively in the first game, Fresno State could not get past Lobo starter Carson Schneider. The sophomore surrendered four hits in 7 2/3 innings. At one point Schneider retired 13-straight batters.
Fresno State collected three of its six hits in the eighth, the same inning Austin Guibor crushed a double to right field to score Brody Russell who led off the inning with a single. Ryan Dobson was the second to single in the inning which triggered UNM to go to the bullpen for Jake Cole.
The Diamond 'Dogs came out with energy for their matchup with San Diego State after a one hour, 26-minute break. Taylor Tempel got a bunt single to start things off. He moved over to second via a ground out, and then to third when Taylor Ward reached first on an error. Kevin Viers then hit a sacrifice fly, allowing Tempel to tag up and cross the plate, 1-0.
Senior William Munro was named the starter to take the hill against SDSU. It was his first start of 2015, but the veterans 24th career start and 67th career appearance. He work 4 1/3 innings and allowed three hits, three runs - one earned, struck out four and walked zero.
San Diego State took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first with a two-run home run from Seby Zavala, it was the junior's fourth of the MW Championship. An Aztec runner was gifted a base on a throwing error that Zavala made count with the homer.
The Bulldogs tied it up 2-2 in the top of the third and would not trail again until the eighth inning. Tempel doubled to left field, and was moved over to third when Guibor singled with a bunt up the first base line. The run came in when Ward flied out to center field and Tempel tagged up to score.
In the top of the fifth, two singles to left field and a full-count walk loaded the bases for Fresno State. Manny Argomaniz then grounded into a double play, but Guibor was able to score from third and the Bulldogs took the lead. Kenny Corey, who entered the game as a designated hitter, brought home Ward with an RBI single to bring the score to 4-2 Fresno State.
SDSU answered in the bottom of the fifth with two of its own runs to tie the game, 4-4, and the see-saw battle continued in the top of the sixth thanks to Ward driving home Dobson to give Fresno State the lead back, 5-4.
Two throwing errors on the Aztecs started off the seventh inning, putting runners on first and second with no outs for the Bulldogs. Fresno State, however, failed to score in the inning. SDSU took advantage of the Bulldogs inability to capitalize on their fourth and fifth errors of the game as Danny Sheehan knocked a ball out of the park in the bottom of the seventh to level the score at five.
The Aztecs took a 6-5 lead in the eighth after back-to-back singles with one out put runners on the corners for SDSU. Justin Wylie broke the tie with a single to right field.
With one more frame to stay alive, Argomaniz singled to lead off the ninth. After pinch runner McCarthy Tatum advanced to second, Nick Warren knocked a ground ball up the middle to bring Tatum home and tie the game up at six to keep the game and season alive. The Aztecs were unable to bring anyone home in the bottom of the ninth, and the fans at Peccole Park were treated to some extra baseball.
After a three up, three down top of the 10th for Fresno State, the Aztecs put men on first and second with no outs. Andrew Brown worked a leadoff walk and on the ensuing play Wylie reached first on a fielder's choice when pitcher Garrett Mundell opted to throw to second base to try to catch Brown. The throw went high, and Brown reached second on the throwing error. Both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt, which put one out on the board. Chase Calabuig proved to be the hero, sending a ground ball to the left side of the infield. Russell, the center fielder brought in as a fifth Bulldog infielder, snagged the ball and threw toward home. The throw was not in time and Brown was called safe at home to send the Aztecs to the title game and close the 2015 Diamond 'Dogs season.
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