Six unanswered runs propel Dogs past UNLV

Friday, May 13

Fresno, Calif.

6:00 PM

Fresno State

41-9-1, 22-0

UNLV

23-31, 7-16

UNLV

Fresno State

Taylor Langdon retired the final 10 batters faced in order to earn her 4th win of the season.

Six unanswered runs propel Dogs past UNLV

5/13/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

May 13, 2016

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

UNLV-FS2

FRESNO, Calif. - No. 17/19 Fresno State softball garnered its eighth-straight Mountain West series with a 6-2 win over UNLV on Friday at Margie Wright Diamond. The Bulldogs improve to 41-9-1 (22-0 MW) overall while just one game shy of a perfect conference mark.

"First and foremost, Taylor [Langdon] threw a great game," head coach Trisha Ford said. "She did a great job of hitting her spots and changing speeds. It's senior weekend and she earned that start, I think she threw her best game in a Bulldog jersey tonight. Tomorrow is going to be fun. We're looking to go 1-0 and I'm excited that we've put ourselves in a situation to come out and make history."

UNLV picked up one run in the first inning and increased their lead to 2-0 on two hits in the third. Despite a pair of base runners, the 'Dogs were held scoreless through the first two frames.

Fresno State's six unanswered runs started with a game-tying two-run triple by Kierra Willis (2-for-3), behind an RBI-single by the league's top run producer Alyssa Villalpando (2-for-3).

After taking the lead in the bottom of the third inning, winning pitcher Taylor Langdon (4-1) only gave up one hit and escaped a bases-loaded situation in the fourth that kept the 'Dogs ahead by one. The senior righty took down the final ten batters of the game in order and totaled four strikeouts on the night.

The Bulldogs added to their come-back effort in the fourth inning as freshman Vanessa Hernandez crossed the plate on a sacrifice hit from Whitney Smith, giving her a conference-leading 15 on the season.

Back-to-back base hits by Willis and Villalpando started a two-run rally in the fifth after the duo reached safely on an RBI-single from junior Lindsey Willmon (1-for-2).

Next up, Fresno State and UNLV will return for the series finale tomorrow starting at noon.

The 'Dogs 2016 graduating class consists of Paige Gumz, Jill Compton, Taylor Langdon, Hannah Harris, Bria Kennedy, Whitney Smith, Alyssa Villalpando and Victoria Trevino, all of which will be honored during a pregame ceremony on Saturday afternoon.

The team will celebrate their 2016 Mountain West Title on the field immediately following Saturday's tilt and championship t-shirts will be available for purchase, while supplies last.

The NCAA Softball Championship Selection Show will air on ESPN at 7 p.m. PT on Sunday, May 15. The Bulldog softball team will host an on-campus watch party in the Josephine Theater during the one-hour special that unveils the 2016 Division I Championship bracket.

QUICK HITS
Fresno State has ran its nation-leading win streak to 23-straight which shattered the all-time school record of 21 set by the 1999 Bulldogs who reached the Women's College World Series. Similarly, the 'Dogs have won their last 32 conference games dating back to the 2015 season and is riding the longest win streak accomplished by any MW program in league history.

Fresno State clinched its second-straight Mountain West Championship and secured the league's automatic bid into the 2016 NCAA Tournament as of Sunday, May 1. The Bulldogs accomplished this feat with a three-game sweep over second place San Jose State last week.

While preserving the best start to a conference season (22-0) in MW history, the 'Dogs finished the year with a perfect (1.000) record on the road during conference play, featuring series sweeps over Boise State, New Mexico, San Jose State and Nevada. In addition, the team has taken all three contests from San Diego State, Utah State and Colorado State at home.

The top 25 Bulldogs have been ranked in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 poll for 13 consecutive weeks, which ties the longest in MW history with San Diego State who spent 13 weeks in the NFCA poll in 2008. Fresno State is the first Mountain West team to be nationally ranked since New Mexico earned four weeks in the top 25 back in 2012.

When combining the past seven conference series, Fresno State has outscored their opponent 193-84 which includes four run-rule victories and three walk-off wins.

STAY UP TO DATE
Fans can follow the Bulldog's 2016 journey and stay up-to-date with the latest news through several media outlets including 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.

"Fun. Family. Forever." - The official home of Fresno State Softball is 790 AM ESPN2 "The Deuce."