Softball splits day two at SD Classic

Saturday, March 19

San Diego, Calif.

11:30 AM

Fresno State

17-8-1

Princeton

3-15

Fresno State

Princeton

Softball splits day two at SD Classic

3/19/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

March 19, 2016

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

OSU-FS | FS-PRIN

SAN DIEGO, Calif.- Fresno State softball's five-game stretch at the San Diego Classic II continued with Ohio State and Princeton on Saturday afternoon at the Sportsplex USA Santee. The 24th-ranked Bulldogs will return to action on Sunday with a 17-8-1 overall record.

The 'Dogs were topped 9-6 by the Buckeyes and outscored the Tigers 8-7 during the second day of action. Both Fresno State and Ohio State opened Saturday's slate with a 1-1 record, as the Bulldogs were coming off a 6-3 loss to BYU following a 5-4 triumph over Long Beach State. Meanwhile, Ohio State was edged 5-3 by the 49ers and topped Mountain West foe San Jose State 8-3 on Friday.

During game one, the Buckeyes added four runs on three hits in the top of the first inning as freshman Kamalani Dung drew her second start of the weekend.

Offensively, four Bulldogs accounted for an RBI in the middle of the fourth as Fresno State scored five runs on five hits and forced an error to take a 6-4 lead following a solo home run by Kierra Willis earlier in the game.

Dung tossed five innings prior to senior Jill Compton coming out of a four-game hiatus after OSU tied the contest on a two-run homer in the top of the fifth. Fellow senior Hannah Harris relieved Compton after the Buckeyes scored three runs on three hits with no outs.

Ohio State moves to 14-7 and owns a 8-6 all-time record versus the 'Dogs since the series began in 1993. The two squads have squared off for the last two consecutive years with the most recent victory coming at home in 2014. The Buckeyes have received votes to be ranked in the USA Today/USA Softball Top 25 poll for five straight weeks.

Saturday's second contest marked just the third all-time meeting between Fresno State and Princeton. The 'Dogs earned the series record (2-1) following a one-run victory over the Tigers. In previous history, Fresno State fell 1-0 during the 2004 NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Ga., and later run-ruled the Tigers 10-0 at home in 2010.

Harris earned the start against the Ivy League school and went the distance with two strikeouts during what was her third win of the season. Fresno State scored first in the top of the second inning and remained in the lead through the remaining five innings, in spite of Princeton's seven runs scored on six hits.

Seniors Bria Kennedy (4-for-4) and Whitney Smith (2-for-2) led the squad offensively, while junior Lindsey Willmon garnered a team-high three RBI's and six total bases on two hits including her fifth home run of the season.

Malia Rivers was 1-for-3 with two runs batted in and Kierra Willis generated a multi-run effort on her fourth home run of the year. Additionally, second baseman Katie Castellon (1-for-2) collected her first RBI on a double to left.

Despite three defensive errors, Fresno State tied its team game-high in hits (13) with a season-best 23 total bases against Princeton.

Next Up
Fresno State wraps up this season's non-conference tournament schedule with San Diego on Sunday. The team will then make its way to Fullerton, Calif., for a single non-conference matchup with Cal State Fullerton on March 22 prior to returning home.

Mountain West play will get underway on the road against Boise State starting March 29, followed by a home series against San Diego State (April 1-3). Additional home conference battles include Utah State (April 15-17), Colorado State (April 22-24) and UNLV (May 12-14), with road games against New Mexico (April 8-10), San Jose State (April 29-May 1) and Nevada (May 6-8).

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."