Fresno State Athletics
Tuesday, March 21
Fresno, Calif.
6 p.m. PT
Fresno State
20-10
13
vs
11
CSU Bakersfield
4-17
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
CSU Bakersfield
7
0
0
1
1
2
0
11
12
0
Fresno State
3
0
0
4
4
2
X
13
15
2
Bulldogs rally past Roadrunners, 13-11, for 20th win of the season
3/21/2017 9:59:00 PM | Softball
Box ScorePhoto Gallery (Keith Kountz)Bakersfield - Fresno State box score (PDF)Bakersfield - Fresno State plays (PDF)2017 Season Stats (PDF)
Bulldog junior transfer Sarah Santana earned her first win in the circle and Morgan Howe hit a grand slam
FRESNO, Calif. – The Fresno State softball team rallied from a seven-run deficit in the first inning to defeat Bakersfield 13-11 on Tuesday night at Margie Wright Diamond. The Bulldogs (20-10, 2-1 MW) used four pitchers for the first time this year and each position starter collected at least one hit en route to their 20th win of the season.
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Junior transfer Sarah Santana (1-0, 0.00 ERA) from Fresno City College earned her first career victory in her first appearance as a Bulldog after pitching the final two innings, allowing two hits and no walks. Sophomore Morgan Howe hit her first career grand slam in the game and senior Malia Rivers notched a career-high four hits.
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Sophomore pitcher Kamalani Dung (13-6, 2.61 ERA) began the game in the circle for the Bulldogs, but pitched only 1/3 of an inning. Of the seven batters she faced, she allowed six runs on three hits, a walk and two hit batters. Freshman Samantha Mejia (3-1, 5.11 ERA) then came into the game in relief, pitched 3 2/3 innings and allowed three runs on seven hits and a walk.
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Junior transfer Savannah McHellon (3-3, 3.84 ERA) pitched the fifth inning and allowed two more runs before Santana entered the game. Bakersfield junior Summer Evans (4-6, 5.04 ERA) took the loss, going 5 2/3 innings and allowing all 13 runs and 15 hits.
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Bulldog Bites
- This was Fresno State's largest comeback of the season after being down seven runs in the first.
- Fresno State is now 9-3 at home and has an 18-9 nonconference record this year.
- Fresno State has scored in double digits in seven games this season.
- Fresno State is 10-1 when scoring in the first inning.
- Howe's grand slam was the second for a Bulldog this season. She went 2-for-4 with five RBIs and two runs scored. Freshman Maddi Hackbarth hit a grand slam against Idaho State on Feb. 25.
- Howe and senior Kierra Willis have each reached base safely in the last nine games and are on seven-game hitting streaks. Willis went 1-for-2 with an RBI and a walk.
- Rivers set a career-high with four hits in the game, scoring twice and knocking a run in. Rivers and freshman Miranda Rohleder each lead the team with nine multi-hit games this season. Rohleder went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
- Sophomore Vanessa Hernandez's double increased her team-leading extra-base total to 14 this year.
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How it happened
The Roadrunners got out to an early 7-0 lead in the top of the first on two home runs, including a grand slam, two singles, two walks and two batters hit by a pitch. Dung faced the first seven batters and was then relieved by Mejia with one out in the inning.
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Rohleder then led off the bottom of the first with a double, Howe was hit by a pitch, senior Lindsey Willmon took a free pass and McHellon hit a two-run single to left field. Willis followed that up with her own RBI-single to left to take the game into the second, CSUB leading 7-3.
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Both teams' bats went silent for two innings until Bakersfield came up in the fourth and scored a run on three hits, increasing its lead to 8-3.
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Howe then came up in the bottom half with the bases loaded and hit her first career grand slam, scoring junior Katie Castellon, Rohleder and Rivers. Bakersfield answered with another run in the top of the fifth, taking a 9-7 lead.
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The Bulldogs finally grabbed the lead, 11-9, in the fifth, as Rohleder and Howe recorded RBI-groundouts and Willmon knocked an RBI-single. The Roadrunners then tied up the game 11-11, scoring two runs on two walks and a two-run single. Santana then entered the circle for the first time this season when there were two on and no outs in the inning.
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Fresno State answered in the bottom half after the Bulldogs loaded the bases, Hernandez scored on a sacrifice fly by Rohleder and Rivers hit in senior Christina Rodriguez, who pinch ran for freshman Schuylar Broussard, from second to give the 'Dogs a 13-11 lead. Santana allowed a hit in the final half, but retired the remaining batters.
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What's next?
Fresno State hosts Boise State in its second MW series of the season this weekend at Margie Wright Diamond.
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"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.
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Junior transfer Sarah Santana (1-0, 0.00 ERA) from Fresno City College earned her first career victory in her first appearance as a Bulldog after pitching the final two innings, allowing two hits and no walks. Sophomore Morgan Howe hit her first career grand slam in the game and senior Malia Rivers notched a career-high four hits.
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Sophomore pitcher Kamalani Dung (13-6, 2.61 ERA) began the game in the circle for the Bulldogs, but pitched only 1/3 of an inning. Of the seven batters she faced, she allowed six runs on three hits, a walk and two hit batters. Freshman Samantha Mejia (3-1, 5.11 ERA) then came into the game in relief, pitched 3 2/3 innings and allowed three runs on seven hits and a walk.
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Junior transfer Savannah McHellon (3-3, 3.84 ERA) pitched the fifth inning and allowed two more runs before Santana entered the game. Bakersfield junior Summer Evans (4-6, 5.04 ERA) took the loss, going 5 2/3 innings and allowing all 13 runs and 15 hits.
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Bulldog Bites
- This was Fresno State's largest comeback of the season after being down seven runs in the first.
- Fresno State is now 9-3 at home and has an 18-9 nonconference record this year.
- Fresno State has scored in double digits in seven games this season.
- Fresno State is 10-1 when scoring in the first inning.
- Howe's grand slam was the second for a Bulldog this season. She went 2-for-4 with five RBIs and two runs scored. Freshman Maddi Hackbarth hit a grand slam against Idaho State on Feb. 25.
- Howe and senior Kierra Willis have each reached base safely in the last nine games and are on seven-game hitting streaks. Willis went 1-for-2 with an RBI and a walk.
- Rivers set a career-high with four hits in the game, scoring twice and knocking a run in. Rivers and freshman Miranda Rohleder each lead the team with nine multi-hit games this season. Rohleder went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
- Sophomore Vanessa Hernandez's double increased her team-leading extra-base total to 14 this year.
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How it happened
The Roadrunners got out to an early 7-0 lead in the top of the first on two home runs, including a grand slam, two singles, two walks and two batters hit by a pitch. Dung faced the first seven batters and was then relieved by Mejia with one out in the inning.
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Rohleder then led off the bottom of the first with a double, Howe was hit by a pitch, senior Lindsey Willmon took a free pass and McHellon hit a two-run single to left field. Willis followed that up with her own RBI-single to left to take the game into the second, CSUB leading 7-3.
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Both teams' bats went silent for two innings until Bakersfield came up in the fourth and scored a run on three hits, increasing its lead to 8-3.
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Howe then came up in the bottom half with the bases loaded and hit her first career grand slam, scoring junior Katie Castellon, Rohleder and Rivers. Bakersfield answered with another run in the top of the fifth, taking a 9-7 lead.
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The Bulldogs finally grabbed the lead, 11-9, in the fifth, as Rohleder and Howe recorded RBI-groundouts and Willmon knocked an RBI-single. The Roadrunners then tied up the game 11-11, scoring two runs on two walks and a two-run single. Santana then entered the circle for the first time this season when there were two on and no outs in the inning.
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Fresno State answered in the bottom half after the Bulldogs loaded the bases, Hernandez scored on a sacrifice fly by Rohleder and Rivers hit in senior Christina Rodriguez, who pinch ran for freshman Schuylar Broussard, from second to give the 'Dogs a 13-11 lead. Santana allowed a hit in the final half, but retired the remaining batters.
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What's next?
Fresno State hosts Boise State in its second MW series of the season this weekend at Margie Wright Diamond.
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"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.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Santana, Sarah (1-0)
L: Evans, Summer (4-6)
Batting:
HR: Larios, Jo 1 ; Hipa, Chris 1
RBI: Gonzalez, Selena 1 ; Cavazos, Julea 1 ; Curry, Nicole 3 ; Larios, Jo 4 ; Hipa, Chris 1
SH: Marcy, Megan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Burt, Kaylynn 1 ; Curran, Cydney 1 ; Amezcua, Nadia 2 ; Gonzalez, Selena 2 ; Cavazos, Julea 1 ; Curry, Nicole 1 ; Larios, Jo 1 ; Wiseman, Karah 1 ; Hipa, Chris 1
SB: Amezcua, Nadia 1
HBP: Curran, Cydney 1 ; Amezcua, Nadia 1
Batting:
2B: Rohleder, Miranda 1 ; Hernandez, Vanessa 1
HR: Howe, Morgan 1
RBI: Rohleder, Miranda 2 ; Rivers, Malia 1 ; Howe, Morgan 5 ; Willmon, Lindsey 1 ; McHellon, Savannah 2 ; Willis, Kierra 1 ; Castellon, Katie 1
SF: Rohleder, Miranda 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Rohleder, Miranda 2 ; Rivers, Malia 2 ; Howe, Morgan 2 ; Willmon, Lindsey 1 ; Hernandez, Vanessa 2 ; Broussard, Schuylar 1 ; Rodriguez, Christina 1 ; Castellon, Katie 1 ; Coates, Brooke 1
SB: Rivers, Malia 1
HBP: Howe, Morgan 1 ; Broussard, Schuylar 1 ; Castellon, Katie 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
2
H
4
RBI
1
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
5
AB
2
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
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IF
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C
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OF
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DP/RHP
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OF
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IF
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RHP
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OF
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