Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
3-3
Pepperdine
1-5
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Thomas, Brandon (1-0)
L: Fowler, Jack (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Horton, Nash 1 ; Laxa, Kai 1 ; Patterson, Daniel 1
HR: Laxa, Kai 1 ; Patterson, Daniel 1
RBI: Dell'Amico, James 1 ; Horton, Nash 1 ; Laxa, Kai 1 ; Woodworth, Joshua 1 ; Woodson, Zach 2 ; Patterson, Daniel 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Dell'Amico, James 1 ; Laxa, Kai 2 ; Nunez, Julian 1 ; Patterson, Daniel 3
HBP: Nunez, Julian 1 ; Patterson, Daniel 1
Batting:
2B: Hewitt, Brady 1 ; Boyd, Mikey 1 ; Plasschaert, Zach 1
HR: Nolen, Marcus 1
RBI: Sotomayor, Griffen 1 ; Collins, Sky 2 ; Ovalle, Barclay 1 ; Boyd, Mikey 1 ; Nolen, Marcus 4 ; Plasschaert, Zach 1
SF: Sotomayor, Griffen 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Sotomayor, Griffen 2 ; Hewitt, Brady 1 ; Collins, Sky 2 ; Boyd, Mikey 1 ; Nolen, Marcus 2 ; Plasschaert, Zach 1 ; Ruby, Jett 2
SB: Collins, Sky 2 ; Nolen, Marcus 1
HBP: Ruby, Jett 1
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
Nolen’s grand slam lifts Bulldogs past Pepperdine
2/22/2026 8:48:00 PM | Baseball
Fresno State (3-3) finished with 12 hits on the day and built enough separation in the middle innings to withstand steady scoring from Pepperdine (1-5), which also tallied 12 hits.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Waves struck first in the top of the first inning. After a double from Daniel Patterson moved him into scoring position, Zach Woodson brought him home with an RBI groundout to give Pepperdine a 1–0 lead.
The Bulldogs answered immediately in the bottom half. Jett Ruby was hit by a pitch and Griffen Sotomayor followed with a single to set the table. Zach Plasschaert then roped a double down the right-field line to score Ruby and move Sotomayor to third. Moments later, Sky Collins delivered a two-run single to left-center to bring both runners home and put Fresno State in front 3–1 after one inning.
Pepperdine trimmed the lead in the second when Nash Horton doubled to bring home a run, and the Waves pulled even in the third after an error allowed Patterson to score.
Fresno State responded with the biggest swing of the game in the bottom of the third. Ruby and Sotomayor each worked walks before Collins singled to load the bases. After two outs, Marcus Nolen crushed a grand slam to left field, scoring Ruby, Sotomayor and Collins and giving the Bulldogs a 7–3 advantage.
The Waves kept fighting in the fourth inning as Kai Laxa and Patterson hit back-to-back home runs to cut the deficit to two runs.
Pepperdine added another run in the fifth on an RBI single from James Dell'Amico, but the Bulldogs once again had an answer. Collins singled to start the rally before Michael Boyd doubled to right field to score him. Boyd later came home on a wild pitch and Barclay Ovalle added an RBI single to extend the lead to 10–6.
Fresno State added an insurance run in the sixth. Brady Hewitt doubled to lead off the inning and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Sotomayor to push the lead to five.
Pepperdine scratched across one more run in the eighth when Woodson singled in Laxa, but the Bulldogs' pitching staff closed the door from there. Fresno State recorded three strikeouts in the ninth to seal the 11–7 victory at Pete Beiden Field at Bob Bennett Stadium.
NOTES
- Brandon Thomas earned his first win as a Bulldog after pitching 4.1 innings, striking out six batters, and allowing only one run to score.
- Marcus Nolen hit his first collegiate home run, a grand slam to left field.
- Sky Collins went 4-for-4 and stole a base.
- Zach Plasschaert recorded a double for his first hit as a Bulldog.
UP NEXT
The Bulldogs look to close the series against Pepperdine on Monday with first pitch scheduled for 4:05 p.m. PT at Pete Beiden Field at Bob Bennett Stadium.