‘Dogs defeated by Nevada and Loyola Marymount in NISC

Friday, May 17

Reno, Nev.

1 P.M. PT

Fresno State

37-19

Nevada

29-25

Fresno State

Nevada

‘Dogs defeated by Nevada and Loyola Marymount in NISC

5/17/2019 10:14:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Andrew Tomsky / Assistant Director of Communications

RENO, Nev. – On the second day of the National Invitational Softball Championship (NISC) Reno regional Fresno State was edge by host Nevada, 8-3, to begin the day and fell to Loyola Marymount, 8-5, in an elimination game to close the 2019 season on Friday.

Fresno State (37-20) earned a run-rule win over UC Riverside to open tournament play on Thursday before seeing its season end with a pair of losses on Friday. Nevada (29-25) won its first two games to advance to the regional title game on Saturday and Loyola Marymount (37-19) won twice on Friday, first eliminating UC Riverside and then knocking out the Bulldogs to advance from the loser's bracket to meet the Wolf Pack again on Saturday.

Fresno State's starting outfield of Kaitlyn Jennings, Vanessa Hernandez, and McKenzie Wilson were each named to the All-NISC Nevada Regional team. Hernandez was 5-for-7 with two doubles and two RBIs over the two games on Friday and hit .636 in three games in Reno. Wilson hit .500 with four stolen bases and four runs scored and Jennings scored four runs and drove in three, including a game-ending homer vs. UC Riverside.

How it Happened – vs. Nevada
Nevada got on the board first in the second inning as Rachel Rodriguez had a leadoff double and scored on a single from Haley Burda. Starter Kali Sargent retired the first nine batters she faced, but in the fourth inning Wilson led off with a single, stole second, and moved to third on an error (watch). She would score the tying run two batters later on an RBI single from Hayleigh Galvan (watch), and after a Nevada error gave the 'Dogs runners on the corners, Hernandez doubled in a run to give the 'Dogs the lead, though the trail runner was cut down at the plate (watch).

In the bottom of the fourth, Nevada got runners on first and second with one out on a walk and a single. Schuylar Broussard made a diving catch for the second out and had a chance to double off the runner at second but her throw was dropped. The next Nevada hitter walked to load the bases, and on a 3-2 pitch Sadaria McAlister hit a grand slam to give the Wolf Pack a 5-2 lead.

Fresno State was retired in order in the fifth, and in the bottom half the Pack scored more two-out runs as Lauren Gutierrez had a two-run single. Sierra Mello followed with an RBI double to give Nevada an 8-3 lead. That score held as Danielle East pitched a scoreless sixth inning and in the seventh the 'Dogs got a run as Rachel Minogue and Hernandez opened the inning with consecutive doubles (watch). Sargent retired the next three batters, however, to complete the win.

Hot it Happened – vs. Loyola Marymount
The game was scoreless through two innings before both teams scored four runs in the third. LMU had a runner on second with two outs and took the lead on an Irma Sanchez RBI single. Another single followed and Megan Dedrick hit a 3-run home run to put the Lions up 4-0.

In the bottom of the third LMU got the first out before Wilson and Miranda Rohleder singled and Galvan drew a walk to load the bases. Minogue brought all three runners home with a double to center field (watch) to make it a 4-3 game and Hernandez followed with an infield single. Pinch runner Aaliyah Cuevas moved to second on the single and scored from third on a squeeze bunt from Broussard to tie the game (watch).

The score held into the fifth inning when the Lions loaded the bases on a double and two walks with one away. Riley Ehlen delivered an RBI single and a second run would score on a wild pitch. The 'Dogs got one of those runs back quickly in the home half as Galvan hit a solo home run with one out, making it a 6-5 game (watch).

Loyola Marymount added to its lead with two runs in the top of the seventh, with both scoring on a pair of Bulldog fielding errors. Rohleder had an infield single to start the home half of the inning but the next three hitters went down to end the game.

Notable

With her two doubles on Friday Hernandez finished with 20 doubles this season, the third most in a season in program history and the most by a Bulldog since 1999.
Wilson finished the year with a program and MW-record 39 stolen bases, which already are tied for the fifth most career stolen bases in program history. Named the MW Freshman of the Year on Wednesday, Wilson also ended the season reaching base in 25 straight games and getting a hit in each of the last 17 games of the year, tied for the sixth longest hitting streak in program history. She finished with a .393 batting average in a sensational rookie season.
Broussard had a 22-game reached base streak snapped against Nevada.
Fresno State's 37 wins in 2019 were its most since the 2016 season.
The Bulldogs ended the year undefeated at 31-0 when scoring first.
The 2019 Bulldogs broke single-season program records for most saves (7) and fewest errors (43), one better than the previous low of 44 set in 2006.
Fresno State finished the year hitting .308 with a 2.98 team ERA, improving significantly from a .289 team batting average and 3.92 team ERA in 2018.
Hernandez ended her career with 49 doubles, tied for the fourth most in program history, and her 24 career home runs are tied for eighth most.
All five Bulldogs that earned All-MW honors are underclassmen that will return next season.

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