Fresno State baseball: Bulldogs blow seven-run lead and lose

The Fresno State baseball team blew a seven-run lead, doomed by sloppy defense and elevated pitching as Eastern Michigan rallied for a 15-11 victory on Friday night at Beiden Field at Bennett Stadium.

The Bulldogs (6-6) were charged with only three errors but committed a handful of mental mistakes and mishandling to allow Eastern Michigan (3-11) to climb out of an 11-4 deficit and score 11 unanswered runs from the seventh inning on.

Fresno State closer Edgar Gonzalez got the final two outs of the eighth to preserve an 11-11 tie.

But the sophomore lost control in the ninth and began the inning with a walk, which is almost always a bad sign. By the end of the ninth inning alone, Gonzalez allowed three hits and two walks while giving up four runs.

Eastern Michigan’s rally began as soon as Bulldogs starting pitcher Ricky Tyler Thomas was removed after six innings and Fresno State up seven runs.

Thomas struck out nine but allowed four runs (three unearned) off seven hits and a walk.

Reliever Dominic Topoozian, who had a 4.91 ERA entering Friday, started the seventh and got bruised for six runs off a walk and four hits, including a three-run homer by pinch-hitter John Montgomery that brought Eastern Michigan within one run.

Fresno State finished with 15 hits, including home runs from Scott Silva and Jake Stone. Eastern Michigan had 17 hits.

This story was originally published March 10, 2017 at 10:02 PM with the headline "Fresno State baseball: Bulldogs blow seven-run lead and lose."