Come-from-behind victory completes sweep of Rebels as Dung earns 20th win

Sunday, April 30

Las Vegas, NV

12 p.m. PT

Fresno State

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UNLV

23-23, 0

Fresno State

UNLV

Come-from-behind victory completes sweep of Rebels as Dung earns 20th win

4/30/2017 4:01:00 PM | Softball

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Over the weekend, Kamalani Dung threw all 23 innings for the Bulldogs, going 3-0 with a 2.13 ERA

By: Jason Kelm / Communications Assistant

LAS VEGAS – For the first time this season, the Fresno State softball team came from behind in the seventh inning to complete the Bulldogs' sweep of UNLV with a 4-3 victory on Sunday afternoon at Eller Media Stadium in Las Vegas. The 'Dogs went into the final frame down 3-1 and used a combination of two doubles, a single and a walk to come out ahead.

Sophomore pitcher Kamalani Dung (20-12, 2.25 ERA), who started all three games of a MW series for the first time in her career, was the first Fresno State pitcher to start and win all three games of a MW series since Jill Compton did so April 24-26, 2015, against Nevada. Over the weekend, Dung threw all 23 innings for the Bulldogs, going 3-0 with a 2.13 ERA and allowing only four extra-base hits and three walks.

Junior Savannah McHellon (1-3, HR) hit her team-leading ninth home run of the season in the fourth to get the Bulldogs on the board and freshman Miranda Rohleder (1-3, R, 2 RBI) hit a two-run double to tie the game and scored the go-ahead run on an RBI-single by sophomore Morgan Howe (1-4, RBI) to clinch the Bulldogs' first MW sweep of the season. Going into Sunday, the Bulldogs were 0-13 when trailing after six innings and the Rebels were 17-1 when leading after four.

Sophomore Vanessa Hernandez recorded a double for the second straight game, increasing her Bulldog-best extra-base hit total to 18 this year, including 12 doubles. Howe has recorded at least one hit in each of the last six games and McHellon has reached base safely in the last eight. Rohleder has notched multiple RBIs in seven games this year.

How it happened
Senior Malia Rivers led the game off with a single up the middle, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Rohleder, but was left stranded. UNLV led off the bottom half with a double to right center, advanced to third on a groundout, but couldn't find home. In the second, neither team was able to get a runner on base. Freshman Haley Fuller then led off the third with a single through the left side, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by junior Katie Castellon, and Rivers took a four-pitch walk, however the Bulldogs were unable to find home plate once again.

The Rebels scored first after they led off the bottom of the third with three straight singles to record their first run. UNLV then notched its second run of the game following a sacrifice bunt and RBI-ground out. One more single by the Rebels would put them up 3-0.

McHellon answered for the Bulldogs in the fourth after powering her ninth home run of the year to close the gap to 3-1. Senior Kierra Willis then reached first on a dropped pop-up by the third baseman, but was left stranded. The Bulldogs attempted to add to their run total in the fifth as Castellon led the inning off with a single to left field and Rivers hit into a fielder's choice, but they couldn't put anything else together.

The Bulldogs finally got a rally going in the top of the seventh to take the lead. Hernandez led off with a double to left center, sophomore Dominique Jackson then took a pinch-hit one-out walk and was pinch run for by freshman Kindra Hackbarth, and Rohleder doubled both runners home. Howe then came up to the plate and hit an RBI-single to shallow right to give the Bulldogs the advantage.

What's next?
Fresno State returns home for the Bulldogs' final home MW series as they host New Mexico next weekend. The team's regular season will conclude with a road trip to Colorado State May 11-13.

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