Bulldogs blank Broncos 5-0 behind dominant Dolcini

Thursday, May 9

Fresno, Calif.

6 P.M. PT

Fresno State

34-18, 12-10

RV/RV Boise State

34-12, 12-10

Boise State

Fresno State

Bulldogs blank Broncos 5-0 behind dominant Dolcini

5/9/2019 9:18:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Andrew Tomsky / Assistant Director of Communications

FRESNO, Calif. – Fresno State sophomore Hailey Dolcini threw a three-hit shutout against the eighth-highest scoring team in NCAA Div. I and the Bulldogs scored five runs in the third inning in a 5-0 win over RV/RV Boise State in the series opener on Thursday night.

Dolcini tallied seven strikeouts and allowed just three singles and one walk against a Boise State (34-12, 12-10 MW) team that entered the game ranked eighth in the country in both scoring (7.00 runs per game) and batting average (.336). The Broncos were shut out for just the third time this season as Fresno State (34-18, 12-10 MW) won its 21^st home game of the year, the most home wins in a season since 2012.

The Bulldogs scored the only runs of the game in the bottom of the third inning, sending eight batters to the plate and scoring five times on six hits, three of which were doubles. McKenzie Wilson had an RBI double to drive in the first run of the game and extend her reached-base streak to 20 games and her team season-long hitting streak to 12 games while Kelcey Carrasco and Rachel Minogue also doubled in the five-run inning.

How it Happened
The teams combined for just one baserunner over the first two innings of the game. In the top of the third the Broncos got two aboard with two out on a hit batter and a walk but Dolcini got Rebekah Cervantes to ground out to end the inning.

Carrasco became the first Bulldog baserunner on a double to left to open the third (watch). Kaitlyn Jennings followed with an infield single, and two batters later Wilson put the 'Dogs on the board with a double to left center (watch). Miranda Rohleder followed with an RBI single up the middle to bring home two runs (watch) and she would score from second with some alert base running on an infield single from Hayleigh Galvan (watch). Minogue was the fourth straight Bulldog to record a hit as she split the gap in right center with a double to bring home Galvan (watch).

Boise State tried to rally with a pair of one-out singles in the fourth inning but Dolcini got a strikeout and made a nice play on a comebacker to end the inning (watch). The Bulldog sophomore would go on to retire the side in order in each of the next three innings, ending the game retiring 11 consecutive hitters. She helped herself again with another nice defensive play for the final out of the contest (watch).

Notable

Boise State leadoff hitter Kora Wade entered the game leading the MW hitting .433 with just seven strikeouts all season, but Dolcini struck her out three times in three at-bats on Thursday.
Dolcini recorded her seventh complete-game shutout of the season and gave the 'Dogs their MW-leading 13^th total shutout this year.
Dolcini is now 11-1 with a 0.62 ERA in home games this year, allowing just seven earned runs with 81 strikeouts in 78.2 innings pitched.
Dolcini threw a shutout against Boise State for the second consecutive season. As a freshman at UC Riverside last season she allowed just four hits in a 3-0 shutout win over the Broncos.
Schuylar Broussard had a single on Thursday to extend her reached-base streak to 19 consecutive games.
Fresno State's 21 home wins this year are the most since the 2012 team finished 24-8 at home.
Fresno State improved to 29-0 this season when scoring first.
The Bulldogs earned their fourth win of the season against a team receiving votes in the national Top-25 polls.

Quotable
Hailey Dolcini
On what was working for her in the game…
"Everything was just really moving today and it definitely helped having the defense behind me. I was able to work ahead and getting that first pitch strike was huge for me because then they couldn't know what was coming. Movement and hitting my spots was beneficial."

On her screwball…
"My screwball hard on the inside corner is always my go-to. I know that whether or not I hit my spot it's got enough movement to where they will jam themselves. That's definitely my most confident pitch to go to."

Up Next
Fresno State will look for its fifth series win in its last six MW series when the teams meet for game two on Friday at 6 p.m.

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