Dung earns eighth victory, Howe hits a home run as Bulldogs grab two wins

Thursday, March 2

Fullerton, Calif.

12:30 p.m. PT

Fresno State

11-6

Long Beach State

5-7-1

Fresno State

Long Beach State

Photo by: Keith Kountz

Dung earns eighth victory, Howe hits a home run as Bulldogs grab two wins

3/2/2017 8:11:00 PM | Softball

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Fresno State Softball began the Judi Garman Classic with wins against LBSU, 4-2, and Iowa, 11-7

By: Jason Kelm / Communications Assistant

FULLERTON, Calif. – The Fresno State softball team earned two victories on Thursday at the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, Calif., defeating Long Beach State 4-2 in eight innings and Iowa, 11-7.

The Bulldogs (12-6) are now 3-0 in extra innings this season and have scored in double figures five times.

Sophomore Kamalani Dung pitched her eighth complete game of the season and earned her eighth win, while lowering her ERA to 1.46 after allowing no earned runs and striking out a season-high 10 batters against Long Beach State. Sophomore Morgan Howe went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored in the game.

In the Bulldogs' game against Iowa, Fresno State would see nine different batters combine for 13 hits. Howe led the offense, going 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBIs and three runs scored. Sophomore Vanessa Hernandez and senior Malia Rivers also had multiple hits in the game, combining for four hits, two RBIs and four runs.

Freshman Samantha Mejia started her second game of the season and is now 3-0 with a 4.54 ERA.

Howe has now raised her batting average to .500 (18-for-36) on the year with a .750 slugging percentage and .568 on-base percentage. Hernandez now leads the team with 16 RBIs and 14 runs this season.

How it happened against Long Beach State
The Bulldogs started the game by loading the bases after Hernandez took a free pass, Howe singled to center, and senior Lindsey Willmon was hit by a pitch, but they couldn't get a runner home. Dung then entered the circle and struck out two batters to keep the game even.

In the second, freshman Maddi Hackbarth led off the inning with a single up the middle and junior Katie Castellon walked, but were left stranded. Three more 49ers were then struck out by Dung over the next two innings.

LBSU was able to get the first run on the board after Tierra Falo reached on an error, Andrea Guzman was sent in to pinch run and was sent home on a single by Hannah Cookson in the fourth.

Fresno State answered immediately when Rivers walked, made her way to third and scored on a single by Howe in the top of the fifth.

Dung would record nine strikeouts through seven innings and lead the 'Dogs into their third extra-inning game of the season.

In the top of the eighth, Rohleder was placed on second base due to the international tiebreaker rule, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly by Hernandez. Three straight Bulldogs would walk and two would score on a fielder's choice to give Fresno State a 4-1 lead.

The 49ers came into the bottom of the inning and scored the runner from second, but couldn't get any more runners home, while Dung recorded her season-high 10th strikeout to give the Bulldogs the victory.

How it happened against Iowa
Fresno State got on the board early, taking a 4-0 lead in the top of the first. Singles by Rivers, Howe and junior Savannah McHellon led to Rivers scoring on a throwing error, followed by a two-run triple by senior Kierra Willis.

However, the Hawkeyes answered in the bottom of the inning, scoring three runs on three singles. The Bulldogs came right back, though, to score two runs on one hit and three errors to extend their lead to 6-3.

Iowa found the plate once more and Fresno State's bats kept going in the top of the third, getting singles from freshman Schuylar Broussard, Rivers, Hernandez and Howe, scoring two more and taking an 8-4 lead.

In the bottom of the third, freshman Samantha Mejia notched her first strikeout of the game and the Hawkeyes added another run to bring the game to 8-5. Then in the top of the fifth, Howe added a 2-run home run, the second of her career, and Hernandez hit an RBI-single to increase the Bulldogs' lead to 11-5.

Iowa scored two more in the bottom of the fifth, closing the score to 11-7 Bulldogs. In the bottom of the seventh, two runners got on base and Dung came in to close it out for Fresno State, securing the victory and earning her third career save.

What's next?
Fresno State faces off against Indiana on Friday night at 8 p.m. PT, followed by Saturday games against Northwestern and No. 8 Washington.

"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.