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Fresno State Athletics
Saturday, May 29
USAF Academy, CO
10 A.M. PT
Fresno State
9
at
8
Air Force
Photo by: Samuel Marshall
Diamond 'Dogs win season finale
5/29/2021 2:30:00 PM | Baseball
USAFA, Colo. - The Diamond 'Dogs closed out the season on Saturday with a 9-8 victory over Air Force at Falcon Field.
Fresno State (20-25, 16-18 MW) used a ninth-inning RBI by pinch-hitter Mason Grotto (watch) to take the series finale over the Falcons behind 12 hits finishing with four doubles and a home run.
Zach Presno closed out the season with a three-hit performance hitting a pair of singles, a double, drove in two RBIs and scored a run.
Three other 'Dogs had two hits apiece while Ryan Higgins smacked his 11th home run of the season (watch) to give the Bulldogs a total of 58 as a team this season.
On the mound, Jake Dixon made his second start in as many days tossing two innings before giving way to Tommy Hopfe, Ixan Henderson, Robbie Peters and Oscar Carvajal.
Carvajal earned his second win of the season and ninth of his career getting the final five outs and fanned three.
How It Happened
After the teams combined for 35 runs in a pair of games on Friday, the offenses picked up where they left on Saturday with the 'Dogs scoring three runs in the first on a two-run RBI single by Presno (watch) and a sac bunt by Emilio Nogales (watch).
The Falcons responded with four runs in the bottom of the frame picking up a pair of bases-loaded walks and a two-run RBI single by Christian Gambale.
Higgins' two-run home run in the fourth gave the Bulldogs back the lead at 5-4 and a sacrifice fly to right by Andrew Kachel (watch) in the sixth pushed the lead to 6-4.
Two more runs came across for Fresno State in the seventh on RBI doubles by Zach Morgan (watch) and Jeff Jamison (watch), but the 'Dogs saw their four-run lead whittle away with the Falcons pushing across two runs in the bottom of the seventh and two more in the eighth on a pair of RBI singles.
With the game locked up at 8-8 through eight innings, a leadoff infield single by Morgan opened the ninth which was followed by a hit by pitch and sacrifice bunt to put Bulldogs on second and third with one out for Grotto.
The Clovis native came through in the clutch bouncing a grounder to Cole Blatchford at third base who attempted to throw out pinch-runner Josh Lauck at home, but Lauck was too quick scoring the eventual game-winning run.
Carvajal worked around a two-out single in the bottom of the ninth to get Braydon Altorfer to strike out looking to seal the win.
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Fresno State (20-25, 16-18 MW) used a ninth-inning RBI by pinch-hitter Mason Grotto (watch) to take the series finale over the Falcons behind 12 hits finishing with four doubles and a home run.
Zach Presno closed out the season with a three-hit performance hitting a pair of singles, a double, drove in two RBIs and scored a run.
Three other 'Dogs had two hits apiece while Ryan Higgins smacked his 11th home run of the season (watch) to give the Bulldogs a total of 58 as a team this season.
On the mound, Jake Dixon made his second start in as many days tossing two innings before giving way to Tommy Hopfe, Ixan Henderson, Robbie Peters and Oscar Carvajal.
Carvajal earned his second win of the season and ninth of his career getting the final five outs and fanned three.
How It Happened
After the teams combined for 35 runs in a pair of games on Friday, the offenses picked up where they left on Saturday with the 'Dogs scoring three runs in the first on a two-run RBI single by Presno (watch) and a sac bunt by Emilio Nogales (watch).
The Falcons responded with four runs in the bottom of the frame picking up a pair of bases-loaded walks and a two-run RBI single by Christian Gambale.
Higgins' two-run home run in the fourth gave the Bulldogs back the lead at 5-4 and a sacrifice fly to right by Andrew Kachel (watch) in the sixth pushed the lead to 6-4.
Two more runs came across for Fresno State in the seventh on RBI doubles by Zach Morgan (watch) and Jeff Jamison (watch), but the 'Dogs saw their four-run lead whittle away with the Falcons pushing across two runs in the bottom of the seventh and two more in the eighth on a pair of RBI singles.
With the game locked up at 8-8 through eight innings, a leadoff infield single by Morgan opened the ninth which was followed by a hit by pitch and sacrifice bunt to put Bulldogs on second and third with one out for Grotto.
The Clovis native came through in the clutch bouncing a grounder to Cole Blatchford at third base who attempted to throw out pinch-runner Josh Lauck at home, but Lauck was too quick scoring the eventual game-winning run.
Carvajal worked around a two-out single in the bottom of the ninth to get Braydon Altorfer to strike out looking to seal the win.
Twitter:Â @FresnoStateBSB
Instagram:Â fresnostbaseball
Facebook:Â FresnoStateAthletics
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