March 28, 2015
Fresno, Calif. -- Spartan pitcher Allison Lang was perfect into the sixth inning and had a 2-0 lead, but Fresno State was scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh and one in the eighth to take game two of this Mountain West series, 3-2.
The Spartans (24-12, 4-1 MW) had the chance to bust the game open early, but couldn't take advantage to put up a crooked number in the either of the first two innings.
In the top of the first, with one out, Jessica Madrid doubled down the left field line. Jessie Hufstetler then singled through the right side and Madrid made it to third. Sharon-Renae Estrada hit a fielder's choice to second, but Madrid was cut down trying to score. The next batter, Alyssa Martinez singled through the right side, but Hufstetler couldn't score from second, so the bases were loaded with two outs.
Fresno State's (23-11, 4-1 MW) starter Hannah Harris then uncorked a wild pitch allowing everyone to move up and staking the Spartans a 1-0 lead. It's the sixth straight game SJSU has plated a run in the first inning. Erin Rodriguez lined out to end the frame with two runners both in scoring position.
In the second, Emma Entzminger got a one-out single and Nicole Schultz followed her on base after the first of three Bulldog errors on the night and the first of two in the inning.
Michelle Cox reached on a fielder's choice, which put Entzminger on third. Madrid then reached on an error by the third baseman. Entzminger scored an unearned run; Cox got to third and Madrid to second. The Spartans had their second chance to bust the game open, but Hufstetler flied out and SJSU led 2-0 heading to the bottom of the second.
Although San José State left runs out on the bases, it appeared that it wouldn't matter because for the second straight game senior starting pitcher Allison Lang was in the grove.
On Friday night, she shut out Fresno State on three hits over seven innings. On Saturday, Lang was perfect through five and two-thirds. She induced 16 infield putouts and allowed just one ball to reach the outfield, a lineout to right in the second. Lang held Fresno State off the scoreboard for the first 13 innings over two games.
In the sixth, she got the first two batters. Then pinch hitter Katie Castellon earned a walk on five pitches to break up the perfect game. A batter later, Brenna Moss got the first of two tomahawk-chop singles to first base which load the bases. Lang regrouped and induced a comebacker to end the threat and send the game to the seventh with the Spartans still up, 2-0.
SJSU's last chance to score came in the top of the seventh. Cox singled with one out and moved to second on a ground out. Hufstetler came up for the second time with a runner in scoring position, but was unable to get what the big hit and RBI.
In the seventh, Fresno State got a leadoff single and followed that with a Paige Gumz RBI double down the left field line to slice the lead in half. A ground out moved Gumz to third and fly ball to left was the second out. Gumz was able to score on the play, just getting under the tag to tie the game and send it to extra innings.
The Spartans went one, two, three in their half of the eight. Fresno State got a lead off walk that eventually scored on a two-out infield single two win game two of the series, 3-2.
Each pitcher went the distance and scattered six hits with Harris (7-2) picking up the win and Lang (8-6) the loss.
The Spartans got single hits from six batters, while Fresno State had multi-hit games from Moss and Kierra Willis.
The series wraps up on Sunday with the rubber game of the three-game set. First pitch scheduled for 12:00 p.m.
Fresno State 3, San Jose State 2 (Mar 28, 2015 at Fresno, Calif.)------------------------------ ------------------------------ ----------San Jose State...... 110 000 00 - 2 6 0 (24-12, 4-1 MW)Fresno State........ 000 000 21 - 3 6 3 (23-11, 4-1 MW)------------------------------ ------------------------------ ----------Pitchers: San Jose State - Lang, Allison and Entzminger, Emma.Fresno State - HARRIS, H and GUMZ, P.Win-HARRIS, H(7-2) Loss-LANG, Allison(8-6)T-1:46 A-1093 Weather: 82, partly cloudy