Fresno State Athletics
Photo by: Keith Kountz
Diamond 'Dogs eighth-inning rally suspended by rain; to be completed Sunday
3/9/2019 8:20:00 PM | Baseball
The Diamond ‘Dogs will pick up where they left off tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m. PT
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The Fresno State baseball team showed grit and battled back from trailing No. 25 Tennessee 11-0 only to have its scoring run cut short in the top of the eighth inning due to field conditions from heavy rainfall throughout the course of the game.
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Against a top-ranked pitching staff, the Bulldogs worked and forced three Volunteer pitching changes before the game was postponed in the eighth inning. Prior to tonight, the bullpen pitchers the 'Dogs faced in the eighth had only given up one walk this season. Fresno State managed to work the Volunteers' bullpen for seven walks and three hits in one inning.
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The Diamond 'Dogs will resume play in the eighth inning tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m. PT., trailing the Volunteers 11-8.Â
Game three of the series with No. 25 Tennessee will begin approximately 35 minutes after the completion of game two.Â
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How it happened
The Bulldogs came out strong at the plate against starting pitcher Zach Linginfeiter as senior center fielder Zach Ashford got things started with a base hit up the middle. Ashford and Nolan Dempsey got caught in a double play to erase Fresno State's advantage in the opening frame. Redshirt sophomore JT Arruda came up to the plate and ripped a two-out double just fair down the left field line. Arruda steals third on the next pitch, but was left stranded.
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Tennessee would get on the board in the second inning with a triple and a double from the leadoff batters facing sophomore leftie Nikoh Mitchell.
As the rain began to pour, the Vols would go on to score eight more runs off of Mitchell in the next two innings. Alerick Soularie had home runs in back-to-back innings, with a two-run blast in the third and a grand slam in the fourth. Tennessee added six runs in the fourth before the 'Dogs would bring in Ryan Sullivan for the fifth.
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Sullivan worked for two innings and allowed two runs as Tennessee extended its lead to 11-0 at the end of the sixth inning. Nik Cardinal worked for the 'Dogs in the seventh and picked up two strikeouts to keep the Vols off the board.
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Tennessee brought in Will Heflin to throw in the top of the eighth.
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Fresno State was down 11 runs the eighth, but with changes in the batting lineup, the Diamond 'Dogs battled. Freshman Dylan Johnson came in to pinch hit in the eight hole and worked a lead-off walk. Fellow classmate Ryan Higgins pinch hit in the nine slot and drew a walk and Ashford followed with a third consecutive walk to load the bases for the Bulldogs.
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Tennessee would bring in Tanner Kolhepp to throw after the first three walks.
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Freshman Matt Ottino made it to first on a fielder's choice play that caught Johnson out at home to keep the Bulldogs off the board and count for the first out. With the bases loaded, Arruda drew a walk to walk in the first run for the Diamond 'Dogs.
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Freshman Jeff Jamison pinch hit for Carter Bins in the four hole and knocked a base-hit to score Ashford. The runs kept coming and the Bulldogs were on a roll. Tatum worked his way from an 0-2 count to draw the fifth walk of the inning and bring in another Bulldog run. Presno followed with another walk before Chastain came up and ripped a double to score two runs to put the 'Dogs within five.
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The 'Dogs had gone through the lineup one full time and Johnson was back up with a pair of runners on and came through with a base hit to score Presno and keep the Bulldogs' scoring run alive.
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Higgins had his second plate appearance and worked a walk and Chastain scored on a wild pitch. The Bulldogs created an eight run scoring spark that was cut short by a rain delay.
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The Diamond 'Dogs will pick up where they left off tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m. PT. Ashford will lead off with base runners on first and second base and one out.
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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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Follow us on:
Twitter: @FresnoStateBSB
Instagram: fresnostateathletics
Facebook: FresnoStateAthletics
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Against a top-ranked pitching staff, the Bulldogs worked and forced three Volunteer pitching changes before the game was postponed in the eighth inning. Prior to tonight, the bullpen pitchers the 'Dogs faced in the eighth had only given up one walk this season. Fresno State managed to work the Volunteers' bullpen for seven walks and three hits in one inning.
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The Diamond 'Dogs will resume play in the eighth inning tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m. PT., trailing the Volunteers 11-8.Â
Game three of the series with No. 25 Tennessee will begin approximately 35 minutes after the completion of game two.Â
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How it happened
The Bulldogs came out strong at the plate against starting pitcher Zach Linginfeiter as senior center fielder Zach Ashford got things started with a base hit up the middle. Ashford and Nolan Dempsey got caught in a double play to erase Fresno State's advantage in the opening frame. Redshirt sophomore JT Arruda came up to the plate and ripped a two-out double just fair down the left field line. Arruda steals third on the next pitch, but was left stranded.
Â
Tennessee would get on the board in the second inning with a triple and a double from the leadoff batters facing sophomore leftie Nikoh Mitchell.
As the rain began to pour, the Vols would go on to score eight more runs off of Mitchell in the next two innings. Alerick Soularie had home runs in back-to-back innings, with a two-run blast in the third and a grand slam in the fourth. Tennessee added six runs in the fourth before the 'Dogs would bring in Ryan Sullivan for the fifth.
Â
Sullivan worked for two innings and allowed two runs as Tennessee extended its lead to 11-0 at the end of the sixth inning. Nik Cardinal worked for the 'Dogs in the seventh and picked up two strikeouts to keep the Vols off the board.
Â
Tennessee brought in Will Heflin to throw in the top of the eighth.
Â
Fresno State was down 11 runs the eighth, but with changes in the batting lineup, the Diamond 'Dogs battled. Freshman Dylan Johnson came in to pinch hit in the eight hole and worked a lead-off walk. Fellow classmate Ryan Higgins pinch hit in the nine slot and drew a walk and Ashford followed with a third consecutive walk to load the bases for the Bulldogs.
Â
Tennessee would bring in Tanner Kolhepp to throw after the first three walks.
Â
Freshman Matt Ottino made it to first on a fielder's choice play that caught Johnson out at home to keep the Bulldogs off the board and count for the first out. With the bases loaded, Arruda drew a walk to walk in the first run for the Diamond 'Dogs.
Â
Freshman Jeff Jamison pinch hit for Carter Bins in the four hole and knocked a base-hit to score Ashford. The runs kept coming and the Bulldogs were on a roll. Tatum worked his way from an 0-2 count to draw the fifth walk of the inning and bring in another Bulldog run. Presno followed with another walk before Chastain came up and ripped a double to score two runs to put the 'Dogs within five.
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The 'Dogs had gone through the lineup one full time and Johnson was back up with a pair of runners on and came through with a base hit to score Presno and keep the Bulldogs' scoring run alive.
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Higgins had his second plate appearance and worked a walk and Chastain scored on a wild pitch. The Bulldogs created an eight run scoring spark that was cut short by a rain delay.
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The Diamond 'Dogs will pick up where they left off tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m. PT. Ashford will lead off with base runners on first and second base and one out.
Â
"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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Follow us on:
Twitter: @FresnoStateBSB
Instagram: fresnostateathletics
Facebook: FresnoStateAthletics
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