Bulldogs preserve a perfect record

Friday, February 19

Fresno, Calif.

4:00 PM

Fresno State

6-0

Kansas

3-4

Kansas

Fresno State

Bulldogs preserve a perfect record

2/19/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Feb. 19, 2016

By: Kimberly Fisher
kimfisher@csufresno.edu
GoBulldogs.com

KU-FS | SAC-FS

FRESNO, Calif.- The No. 22/24 Fresno State softball team opened the home portion of its 2016 slate against Kansas and Sacramento State on Friday during the annual Fresno State Kick-Off at Margie Wright Diamond. The Bulldogs topped the Jayhawks 5-3 and shutout the Hornets (9-0) in five innings to advance to 7-0 on the season.

The 'Dogs came out strong in the first inning of the day as junior Malia Rivers had a single, her first stolen base of the season and scored the initial run as the leadoff batter against Kansas. Fresno State added an additional pair of runs in the bottom of the second and held a three run lead through four complete innings.

In what was a no-hitter through three complete innings, senior Jill Compton (4-0) tossed her third complete game in the circle for the Bulldogs and meanwhile added eight strikeouts to her season total of 25 over five appearances.

Kansas cut their deficit by two runs on a home run in the top of the fifth and trailed by only one run prior to junior Kierra Willis recovering the Dogs' loss with a two-run homer. The Jayhawks struck again with their final run coming in the sixth inning, but came up short as Fresno State advanced to 6-0 on the season with a 5-3 home-opening victory.

The second game of the day featured four Bulldogs with a multi-hit game and the first victory of the season for right-handed pitcher Hannah Harris. Fresno State unveiled a new starting lineup against the Hornets as utility player Lindsey Willmon moved to center field, Morgan Howe became the designed player and Dominique Jackson made her first start on defense at first base.

Following a quiet first inning, Jackson started a six-run rally after scoring the first run against Sacrament State with her second double of the season. As a freshman, she paced the squad offensively going 3-for-3, while senior Whitney Smith scored a team-high three RBI on two hits and had her first stolen bases of the year.

With an eight-run lead over the Hornets heading into the bottom of the fourth inning, eight reserve players logged playing time for Fresno State including pinch hitters Claire Stucker and Victoria Trevino, base runners Kaitlyn Jennings and Christina Rodriguez, along with Wendy Cardinali, Chase LeeHong and Katie Castellon on defense and freshman Kira McKechnie in the circle.

On the day, Jackson had a team-leading four hits in five at-bats (.800) and scored three runs with two RBI and Rivers had a second-best .571 (4-for-7) batting average to help the 'Dogs to a pair of victories and an unbeaten record over seven game slates.

Up Next
The four-team Fresno State Kick-Off continues with three games on Saturday at Margie Wright Diamond. The 'Dogs will face the Kansas Jayhawks for the second time tomorrow at approximately 4:30 p.m., and will close out the tournament on Sunday versus UC Riverside (11:30 a.m.) and Sacramento State (2 p.m.).

Stay Up To Date
Fresno State Athletics continues striving to meet the needs of Bulldog fans around the county, therefore providing several outlets to follow the Dogs' journey in 2016. Stay up-to-date with the latest news via Twitter (@FresnoStateSB), Facebook (Fresno State Softball), Instagram (@fresnostatesoftball) and Snapchat (FresnoStateSB). A full recap and final results can be found at GoBulldogs.com following each competition.

Come game day, a live stat feed of all home games can be found on StatBroadcast and GameTracker. The Red Wave can watch live on the Mountain West Network or listen on ESPN 790 AM "The Deuce" during select games. Please note, all broadcast schedules are tentative and subject to change.

"Be Bold!" - The official home of Fresno State Softball is 790 AM ESPN2 "The Deuce."