Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
8-2
St. Mary's
3-8
Denby hits a walk-off grand slam in 10-0 rout of Saint Mary's
2/16/2020 8:00:00 PM | Softball
FRESNO, Calif. -- The Fresno State softball team finished the Fresno State Kickoff Classic with a walk-off grand slam by Alesia Denby to defeat Saint Mary's in run-rule fashion, 10-0, in the sixth inning on Sunday afternoon at Margie Wright Diamond. Hailey Dolcini and Danielle East combined to toss a no-hitter in the shutout win.
"It was nice to come home to our fans and play in Margie Wright Diamond," head coach Linda Garza said. "We are so lucky to have such loyal fans, that come to all of our games. We had a great weekend of offense, scoring 50 runs. I'm so proud of our 'Dogs".Â
Fresno State (8-2) finished the five-game tournament with five wins, 50 runs, 47 hits, 46 RBIs, 12 triples, four home runs and an overall batting average of .379. Denby had a marquee weekend at the plate going 9-of-15 with nine hits, nine runs, four triples, one grand slam, and 13 RBIs, batting .600.
Dolcini logged six strikeouts in her start over 5.0 innings of work while East closed the game unscathed in one inning of work. Denby led the offense going 3-of-4 with two triples, a home run, and eight RBIs while Kaitlyn Jennings went 2-of-3 with an RBI as the only other Bulldog to post multiple hits in Sunday's win.
"It was great to have Alesia (Denby) be able to showcase all the skill sets that she has," Garza said. "She played an incredible first base all weekend. For her to get a hot hand and have that power, just makes our lineup that much more lethal."Â
How It HappenedÂ
Fresno State opened the game with three hits in the first inning that led to two runs. It was back-to-back singles that set Denby up for a 2-RBI triple to left field, against two outs, to put the 'Dogs on the scoreboard first.
In the bottom of the second inning, the Bulldogs scored once. Alexandra Preston drew a two-out walk followed by a walk from Wilson and a single from Haley Fuller that loaded the bases. Jennings was hit by pitch on the next at-bat to walk home Preston. The inning ended with the 'Dogs up 3-0.Â
Dolcini and the Bulldog defense faced the minimum through the second, third and fourth innings, retiring nine-straight Gaels.Â
Fresno State was held scoreless in the third and fourth innings as well, but gained back the offensive mojo in the fifth. Jennings led-off the inning with a single through the right side and Schuylar Broussard followed by a drawing a walk to put two runners on base. Denby smashed her second triple of the game with a deep shot to right field, clearing the bases to put Fresno State in front 5-0. Vanessa Hernandez entered as a pinch hitter with one out, and sent Denby home grounding out to the short stop, chalking the final run of the inning.
East entered the game in the sixth inning, and kept the Bulldogs' first no-hit bid since 2018 alive before heading into the bottom half of the inning.Â
In the bottom of the sixth, Wilson started things off for Fresno State with a leadoff walk. Broussard and Galvan were both hit by pitches, loading the bases. Denby was next up for the 'Dogs and blasted the ball over the left field fence for the Bulldogs' first grand slam of the season, ending the game by virtue of run-rule with a 10-0 advantage.Â
What's Next -- Fresno State will go on the road to face Stanford on Tuesday, Feb. 18 at 5 p.m. PT.Â
"Fresno State Athletics: The Pride of the Valley '' – The Bulldog Foundation creates championship experiences for Fresno State student-athletes as they strive for excellence in the classroom, in competition, and in life. To become a BDF member, please visit bulldogfoundation.org.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Dolcini, Hailey (3-0)
L: PEREZ, E. (0-4)
Base Running:
HBP: CAMPBELL 1
Batting:
3B: Denby, Alesia 2
HR: Denby, Alesia 1
RBI: Jennings, Kaitlyn 1 ; Denby, Alesia 8 ; Hernandez, Vanessa M. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Wilson, McKenzie 1 ; Jennings, Kaitlyn 2 ; Broussard, Schuylar 2 ; Galvan, Hayleigh 1 ; Wallace, Madison 1 ; Denby, Alesia 2 ; Preston, Alexandra 1
SB: Wilson, McKenzie 1 ; Rohleder, Miranda 1 ; Noriega, Adrianna 1
HBP: Jennings, Kaitlyn 1 ; Broussard, Schuylar 1 ; Galvan, Hayleigh 1
