Bulldogs look to avoid road sweeps on diamond

Fresno State’s first baseball trip to the state of Michigan may have the team wishing it winds up being the last.

Nothing against the Great Lakes State, but the Bulldogs were left a bit bruised Saturday when Michigan State busted out the bats in sweeping a doubleheader by scores of 10-4 and 9-5.

Game 3 of the series, moved to Grand Rapids after snow left the field in East Lansing too wet to play, is at 11 a.m. PDT Sunday.

Fresno State (16-14) was in it for awhile in Game 1, taking a 1-0 lead in the fourth on a Jake Stone RBI single. But the Spartans, who had lost five straight, roared back with four-run innings in the fifth and sixth.

Staff ace and highly regarded national pitching prospect Ricky Tyler Thomas (2-3) was gone after pitching into the sixth, allowing eight runs on 13 hits. He entered with a 2.78 ERA.

Michigan State sophomore left-hander Alex Troop (4-2) held the Bulldogs to one run on four hits through eight. It was 10-1 before Stone doubled home two in the ninth off reliever Sam Benschoter and Joe Prior added an RBI single.

In Game 2, the Bulldogs cut into a 5-0 deficit with a four-run third capped by Aaron Arruda’s two-run single. But the Spartans (17-10) answered with two in the bottom half.

Several opposing batters proved troublesome for Fresno State, including No. 8 hitter Matt Byars. He was a combined 4 for 8 with four RBIs and four runs scored.

Softball – A doubleheader sweep at the hands of Utah State to open a Mountain West Conference series extended the Bulldogs’ losing streak to four.

Scoreless into the bottom of the seventh, Game 1 was decided Friday afternoon on Sarina Jaramillo’s walk-off solo home run.

Fresno State (24-15, 5-6) took a 4-0 lead in the fourth of Game 2 as Morgan Howe and Kierra Willis homered. But the Aggies (25-9, 8-3) picked up two in the fourth to go with a five-run sixth and won 7-4.

It marks the Aggies’ first series win against Fresno State since 1992. First pitch for the final was scheduled for 11 a.m. Sunday, weather permitting in Logan.

Rugby – The Bulldogs’ women’s rugby club beat Eastern Washington 62-10 in the USA Rugby Division II playoffs. Fresno State advances to a Sunday quarterfinal against Grand Canyon at 11 a.m.

This story was originally published April 8, 2017 at 5:44 PM with the headline "Bulldogs look to avoid road sweeps on diamond."