Fresno State baseball: Bulldogs keep hitting to clinch series

Even though he was fuming, Fresno State coach Mike Batesole didn’t say a word.

There was no need.

Everyone in Fresno State’s clubhouse was angry.

The Bulldogs had just blown a seven-run lead and allowed 11 unanswered runs to fall 15-11 to Eastern Michigan on Friday night.

“I think we kind of hit rock bottom there,” Batesole said later. “They finally had enough.”

Enough of the walks, enough of the inconsistent play, enough of losing to inferior opponents.

And Fresno State responded with two clean, convincing wins to take the three-game nonconference series against Eastern Michigan this weekend at Beiden Field at Bennett Stadium.

A day after thumping the Eagles for 14 hits en route a 10-2 win Saturday, the Bulldogs followed with 14 more hits in a 6-3 victory Sunday.

For the three-game series, Fresno State (8-6) generated a whopping 43 hits.

“Our offense can be really dangerous when it’s clicking,” said Bulldogs third basemman Jesse Medrano, who was 2 for 5 with two runs Sunday.

Perhaps more importantly, Fresno State pitching went from allowing 17 hits, four walks and four hit batters during Friday’s loss to six hits, two walks and one hit batter Saturday, then six hits, three walks and one hit batter Sunday.

And some the same relievers who melted down in Friday’s loss rebounded in their next outing, among them senior Dominic Topoozian and junior J.J. Santa Cruz.

“You’ve got to be patient with each other, and that’s all good,” Batesole said. “But at some point, you’ve got to stop it.

“We’ll see if it continues, but I sure liked the way we pitched so free and clear the last two nights. We simplified so many things the last two days. You saw a different body language. It was easier. Simpler.”

Bulldogs starter Davis Moore got the win Sunday, scattering four hits and a walk for two runs before Santa Cruz finished it out with three innings in relief.

Saturday starter Rickey Ramirez also benefited from the simplified approach, firing seven strikeouts over seven innings with only two unearned runs crossing.

“Sometimes, most of the time,” Batesole said, “looking in the mirror is a really good thing.”

This story was originally published March 12, 2017 at 5:42 PM with the headline "Fresno State baseball: Bulldogs keep hitting to clinch series."