Fresno State Athletics
Friday, February 24
Fresno, CA
6:05 PM
Fresno State
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UC Riverside
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UC Riverside
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Fresno State
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Photo by: Keith Kountz
'Dogs come up on the short end of an 18-inning marathon game; fall to UCR 4-3
2/24/2017 11:49:00 PM | Baseball
Box ScoreMinnesota - Fresno State box score (PDF)Minnesota - Fresno State plays (PDF)2017 Season Stats (PDF)
Playing a Mountain West-record 18 innings, the Fresno State Bulldog baseball team dropped a heartbreaker to UC Riverside, 4-3 on Friday evening at Pete Beiden Field at Bob Bennett Stadium.
FRESNO, Calif. - Playing a Mountain West-record 18 innings, the Fresno State Bulldog baseball team dropped a heartbreaker to UC Riverside, 4-3 on Friday evening at Pete Beiden Field at Bob Bennett Stadium.
The marathon game, which lasted five hours and three minutes, saw 12 pitchers and 29 position players used between the two teams as two late-inning runs from the Highlanders forced extra innings before UCR picked up the win in the 18th inning.
"It was a very well-pitched ballgame by both teams and we both made great plays. I thought our pitching was great with Ricky (Thomas), Edgar (Gonzalez) and Fred (Schlichtholz) and all our pitchers made big throws," said head coach Mike Batesole postgame.
Fresno State (2-3), which had 65 official at-bats in the game, totaled 13 hits in the contest as junior outfielder Jared Akins had a team-best three hits with a double and two singles along with drawing two walks. Seniors Scott Silva, Austin Guibor and Jesse Medrano each had two hits apiece with all three tallying a single and a double.
On the mound, junior southpaw Ricky Tyler Thomas was lights out as the San Diego native tossed seven shutout innings allowing one hit and struck out a career-high 15. Sophomore Edgar Gonzalez added 3.2 innings allowing five hits, but allowed only one earned run and struck out three before giving way to junior left-hander Fred Schlichtholz, The Coronado, Calif., native threw a career-best six innings allowing one hit and struck out a career-high nine. Ryan Jensen and Kenny Varnell also threw for the 'Dogs as the Bulldog pitchers combined for 29 strikeouts, a single-game school record and the second-most in a single game in NCAA history.
The 'Dogs jumped on the board first in the bottom of the first inning as Silva led off with a leadoff double to left field and came home to score on an RBI groundout by Aaron Arruda. The Bulldogs made it 3-0 in the third inning with their fifth multi-run frame of the season scoring a pair of runs on an RBI double to right center by Guibor and an RBI single to right field by Medrano.
After Thomas kept the Highlanders off the scoreboard for the first seven innings, UCR cut the 'Dogs lead to 3-2 in the eighth on a two-out RBI single to left field by designated hitter Connor Cannon. UCR tied the game at 3-3 in the ninth inning on an RBI single by Cade Peters, but the 'Dogs were able to get out of the frame without allowing more damage as Ryan Dobson gunned down a Highlander runner at the plate for the first out. An inning-ending double play, one of four in the game for Fresno State, kept the game tied heading to extra innings.
With only six combined hits between the two teams in the first seven extra innings, the 'Dogs had a pair of hits in the bottom of the 17th as Jake Stone hit a two-out single to center field and Akins followed with a single to center to put a pair of runners on base for Medrano, who grounded out to third base sending the game to the 18th.
With Schlichtholz done for the evening, Varnell took over on the mound and the first batter he faced, Daniel Martinez, reached base via a Bulldog fielding error before coming around to score on a two-out single through the right side by Cannon for the eventual game-winning run.
The two teams return to action on Saturday at 2:05 p.m. for 80's Night along with Youth Jersey Night as all kids who wear their youth jersey get into the game for free.
Notes
- The 18-inning game was the longest in Mountain West baseball history.Â
- It was the longest game for the 'Dogs since March 26, 2011 when they won 3-2 over San Diego in 22 innings, while they were still members of the WAC.
- The 'Dogs five pitchers combined for 29 strikeouts, a single-game school record, along with being the second-most in NCAA history for a team in a single game.
- UC Riverside added 17 strikeouts of their own for 46 total strikeouts (36.8 percent of official at-bats) in the contest; also the second-most in NCAA history.
- Thomas' 15 strikeouts were the most since at least 2007 as the previous single-game high in the last 10 seasons has been Tanner Scheppers in 2008 and Tyler Linehan in 2012 who both had 13.
"Just the Ticket to Build Our Community" – The Bulldog Scholarship Fund gives Bulldog alumni, fans and friends the opportunity to support Fresno State Athletics and the student-athletes who inspire them. For information about how you can support the Bulldog Scholarship Fund, please visit www.bulldogscholarshipfund.com or call 559-278-7160.
Follow us on:Â
Twitter:Â @Fresno StateBSB
Instagram:Â FresnoStateAthletics
Facebook:Â FresnoStateAthletics
Snap Chat: FSAthletics  Â
The marathon game, which lasted five hours and three minutes, saw 12 pitchers and 29 position players used between the two teams as two late-inning runs from the Highlanders forced extra innings before UCR picked up the win in the 18th inning.
"It was a very well-pitched ballgame by both teams and we both made great plays. I thought our pitching was great with Ricky (Thomas), Edgar (Gonzalez) and Fred (Schlichtholz) and all our pitchers made big throws," said head coach Mike Batesole postgame.
Fresno State (2-3), which had 65 official at-bats in the game, totaled 13 hits in the contest as junior outfielder Jared Akins had a team-best three hits with a double and two singles along with drawing two walks. Seniors Scott Silva, Austin Guibor and Jesse Medrano each had two hits apiece with all three tallying a single and a double.
On the mound, junior southpaw Ricky Tyler Thomas was lights out as the San Diego native tossed seven shutout innings allowing one hit and struck out a career-high 15. Sophomore Edgar Gonzalez added 3.2 innings allowing five hits, but allowed only one earned run and struck out three before giving way to junior left-hander Fred Schlichtholz, The Coronado, Calif., native threw a career-best six innings allowing one hit and struck out a career-high nine. Ryan Jensen and Kenny Varnell also threw for the 'Dogs as the Bulldog pitchers combined for 29 strikeouts, a single-game school record and the second-most in a single game in NCAA history.
The 'Dogs jumped on the board first in the bottom of the first inning as Silva led off with a leadoff double to left field and came home to score on an RBI groundout by Aaron Arruda. The Bulldogs made it 3-0 in the third inning with their fifth multi-run frame of the season scoring a pair of runs on an RBI double to right center by Guibor and an RBI single to right field by Medrano.
After Thomas kept the Highlanders off the scoreboard for the first seven innings, UCR cut the 'Dogs lead to 3-2 in the eighth on a two-out RBI single to left field by designated hitter Connor Cannon. UCR tied the game at 3-3 in the ninth inning on an RBI single by Cade Peters, but the 'Dogs were able to get out of the frame without allowing more damage as Ryan Dobson gunned down a Highlander runner at the plate for the first out. An inning-ending double play, one of four in the game for Fresno State, kept the game tied heading to extra innings.
With only six combined hits between the two teams in the first seven extra innings, the 'Dogs had a pair of hits in the bottom of the 17th as Jake Stone hit a two-out single to center field and Akins followed with a single to center to put a pair of runners on base for Medrano, who grounded out to third base sending the game to the 18th.
With Schlichtholz done for the evening, Varnell took over on the mound and the first batter he faced, Daniel Martinez, reached base via a Bulldog fielding error before coming around to score on a two-out single through the right side by Cannon for the eventual game-winning run.
The two teams return to action on Saturday at 2:05 p.m. for 80's Night along with Youth Jersey Night as all kids who wear their youth jersey get into the game for free.
Notes
- The 18-inning game was the longest in Mountain West baseball history.Â
- It was the longest game for the 'Dogs since March 26, 2011 when they won 3-2 over San Diego in 22 innings, while they were still members of the WAC.
- The 'Dogs five pitchers combined for 29 strikeouts, a single-game school record, along with being the second-most in NCAA history for a team in a single game.
- UC Riverside added 17 strikeouts of their own for 46 total strikeouts (36.8 percent of official at-bats) in the contest; also the second-most in NCAA history.
- Thomas' 15 strikeouts were the most since at least 2007 as the previous single-game high in the last 10 seasons has been Tanner Scheppers in 2008 and Tyler Linehan in 2012 who both had 13.
"Just the Ticket to Build Our Community" – The Bulldog Scholarship Fund gives Bulldog alumni, fans and friends the opportunity to support Fresno State Athletics and the student-athletes who inspire them. For information about how you can support the Bulldog Scholarship Fund, please visit www.bulldogscholarshipfund.com or call 559-278-7160.
Follow us on:Â
Twitter:Â @Fresno StateBSB
Instagram:Â FresnoStateAthletics
Facebook:Â FresnoStateAthletics
Snap Chat: FSAthletics  Â
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Toplikar, Trenton (2-0)
L: VARNELL, Kenny (0-1)
S: Lillie, Ryan (2)
Batting:
2B: Gudino, Tony 1
RBI: Cannon, Connor 3 ; Peters, Cade 1
SH: Schultz, Colby 1
Base Running:
RUNS: de Los Reyes, Skyler 1 ; Taylor, Yeager 1 ; Farris, Michael 1 ; Martinez, Daniel 1
SB: Contreras, Mark 1
HBP: Contreras, Mark 1
Batting:
2B: Silva, Scott 1 ; Guibor, Austin 1 ; Akins, Jared 1 ; Medrano, Jesse 1
RBI: Guibor, Austin 1 ; Arruda, Aaron 1 ; Medrano, Jesse 1
SH: Dobson, Ryan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Silva, Scott 2 ; Guibor, Austin 1
SB: Guibor, Austin 1 ; Dobson, Ryan 1
CS: Akins, Jared 1
PO: Burks, Jeremiah 1
Game Leaders
AB
6
R
0
H
3
RBI
0
AB
8
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
7
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
3b/ss
AB
7
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
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Outfield
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RHP
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Pitcher
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Outfield
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Pitcher
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