April 30, 2016
San Jose, Calif. - For the second game in a row San José State softball's pitching staff struggled against the #20 Fresno State Bulldogs. The Spartans put nine Fresno batters on without having to swing the bat in a 13-7 loss on Saturday afternoon.
The first three innings were a score fest.
In the top of the first, SJSU starter Katelyn Linford gave up two free passes, one of which came around to score, and Fresno State led 2-0 after half an inning.
In the bottom of the innings the Spartans struck right back with three of the team's five homers in the game. Brittany Abacherli (3-for-3, 2R, 3 RBI, 2 HR), who blasted two round trippers on the day, led off with a solo shot to left. On the next pitch, Fresno State starter Kamalani Dung served up another homer. It was Alyssa Martinez's (1-for-4, R, RBI, HR) fourth of the year and tied the game at 2-2.
Two batters after Martinez, Jessie Hufstetler (2-for-3, R, RBI, HR) launched a tape measure shot over the right field fence and just like that San José State led 3-2. However, the lead was short lived.
The Bulldogs came right back in the top of the second and put up a six spot. Linford (7-9) gave up three hits, including an RBI double and was lifted with one out, the game tied 3-3 and runners on second and third. She would take the loss tossing 1.1 innings giving up five runs on five hits and walked two.
Colette Riggs came in, got an out, but back-to-back walks brought in a run and gave the lead back to Fresno State 4-3. With the bases still loaded Dominique Jackson took a 1-2 pitch over the left field fence putting the Bulldogs up 8-4; a lead they would not relinquish.
In the bottom of the second, with Emma Entzminger (1-for-2, 2 R) on after being hit by a pitch, Abacherli uncorked her second of the day and team-leading 10th homer of the year. It was to straight away center, hit off the SJSU Field scoreboard and pulled the Spartans to within 8-5.
In the third, Riggs gave up a leadoff home run and a double, which spelled the end of her day. She went two-thirds of an inning allowing five runs on three hits and two walks.
Emily Rogers was the third pitcher of the day for SJSU. Before she could close the book on the Bulldogs in the third, she surrendered a double and a walk. Those along with a Spartans fielding error allowed two more runs to score making it 11-5 after two and a half.
San Jose State (22-23, 11-6 MW) would not go away quietly and in the bottom of the third Madison Aurin (2-for-4, R, RBI) drove a ball over the fence in left to make it 11-6. The score stayed the same until the sixth.
Fresno State (36-9-1, 17-0 MW) scored its final two runs on an RBI triple from Bria Kennedy. The Spartans responded with a Daisy Conchas (1-for-2) RBI-double, which drove in Entzminger.
SJSU loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh, but couldn't push a run across and the game ended with Fresno State on top 13-7.
Rogers tossed the final five innings, giving up two earned runs, but she walked two and hit two batters
Out of the bullpen, Fresno State's Taylor Langdon (3-1) picked up the win. She went 6.0 innings scattered seven hits and gave up four runs.
The series wraps up on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.
Fresno State 13, San Jose State 7 (Apr 30, 2016 at San Jose, Calif.)
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Fresno State........ 263 002 0 - 13 11 0 (36-9-1, 17-0 MW)
San Jose State...... 321 001 0 - 7 10 2 (22-23, 11-6 MW)
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Pitchers: Fresno State - DUNG, Kamalani; LANGDON, Taylor(1); COMPTON, Jill(7) and GUMZ, Paige. San Jose State - Linford, Katelyn; RIGGS, Colette(2); ROGERS, Emily(3) and Avila, Alyssa;CONCHAS, Daisy.
Win-LANGDON, Taylor(3-1) Loss-LINFORD, Katelyn(7-9) T-2:27 A-322
HR FS - JACKSON, Dominique; SMITH, Whitney.
HR SJ - Abacherli, Brittany 2; Martinez, Alyssa; Hufstetler, Jessie; Aurin, Madison.
RIGGS faced 2 batters in the 3rd.