Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
23-23, 0
San Jose State
25-21, 0
'Dogs drop series opener to Spartans
5/6/2022 9:45:00 PM | Baseball
A close contest throughout, Fresno State (23-23, 11-11 MW) held a slim 3-2 lead after five-and-half innings, but two late runs by San Jose State (25-21, 14-11 MW) proved too much to overcome.
The Bulldogs outhit the Spartans, 8-7 on the night led by two hits apiece from Ben Newton and Josh Lauck.
Andrew Kachel laced his second triple of the year and Payton Allen and Tommy Hopfe each added a double apiece.
On the pitching side, southpaw Ixan Henderson worked into the seventh inning going 6.1 innings limiting SJSU to five hits, three runs, two walks and struck out eight. It was the Fresno native's sixth time recording eight or more strikeouts this season.
Trevor Garcia tallied the final two outs of the seventh with Roman Angelo working the eighth and Cooper Bergman coming on for the ninth.
How It Happened
The Bulldogs got the scoring started right off the bat in the first with a pair of runs collecting an RBI single from Newton and after two outs, Hopfe delivered an RBI double down the left field line for a 2-0 lead.
The Spartans answered back with a two-out RBI triple to center by Dalton Bowling to cut the 'Dogs lead to 2-1 after an inning.
After a scoreless next three-and-half innings, SJSU tied up the game in the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run by Robert Hamchuk.
The 'Dogs quickly responded with a run in the sixth when pinch-hitter Mason Grotto came through with a clutch sacrifice bunt that drove home Allen from third.
As they did all game, the Spartans responded, this time with a solo home run by Jack Colette in the seventh to knot the game at 3-3 and knock Henderson from the game.
With the Bulldogs leaving a pair of runners on base in the eighth and one more in the ninth, Bergman earned two quick outs to start the bottom of the ninth, but a double by Hamchuk kept the game alive and Charles McAdoo delivered the game-winning hit with a double to right-center for the walk-off win.
Up next
The 'Dogs and Spartans play game two of the series on Saturday at 2:05 p.m.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: JANSEN, Darren (8-2)
L: Bergman, Cooper (0-3)
Batting:
2B: Hopfe, Tommy 1 ; Allen, Payton 1
3B: Kachel, Andrew 1
RBI: Newton, Ben 1 ; Hopfe, Tommy 1 ; Grotto, Mason 1
SH: Welker, Travis 1 ; Grotto, Mason 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kachel, Andrew 1 ; Newton, Ben 1 ; Allen, Payton 1
SB: Hopfe, Tommy 1 ; Lauck, Josh 1
HBP: Hopfe, Tommy 2
Batting:
2B: HAMCHUK, Robert 1 ; MCADOO, Charles 2
3B: BOWLING, Dalton 1
HR: HAMCHUK, Robert 1 ; COLETTE, Jack 1
RBI: HAMCHUK, Robert 1 ; MCADOO, Charles 1 ; BOWLING, Dalton 1 ; COLETTE, Jack 1
Base Running:
RUNS: HAMCHUK, Robert 3 ; COLETTE, Jack 1
HBP: CADENA, Nathan 1
