Bulldogs suffer weekend series losses at home to San Jose State in baseball and softball
Fresno State suffered heartbreaking baseball and softball series losses to visiting San Jose State over the weekend.
At Beiden Field, the Spartans finished winning two of three with a come-from-behind, 7-5 win Sunday.
At Margie Wright Diamond, the Bulldogs avoided a series sweep with a come-from-behind, 4-3 win Sunday.
Baseball
In a back-and-forth series finale, Mountain West-leading San Jose State (14-9, 8-4) tied it on a leadoff homer in the ninth inning and tacked on two more runs on two-out hits, all off Fresno State closer Jaime Arias. Spartans closer Fineas Del Bonta-Smith put down Zach Ashford, JT Arruda and Carter Bins in order for his seventh save.
Saturday night, San Jose State got just three hits but made unearned runs in the second and fourth stand up for a 2-1 win.
Friday night, Ryan Jensen (3-1) gave up just three hits in seven innings and Oscar Carvajal closed with two perfect innings in a 3-1 Bulldogs win. Fresno State got two in the first on Bins’ RBI single and Zach Presno’s RBI fielder’s choice and added an unearned run in the second.
The Bulldogs (10-7, 2-4) are on the road for 10 straight starting Wednesday at Cal State Bakersfield then a weekend Mountain West series at San Diego State.
Fresno State’s next home game is April 12 against Air Force, the start of a six-game weekend series to make up dates lost last week because of weather in Colorado. Each day will feature a seven-inning game and a nine-inning game.
Softball
Fresno State (16-11, 1-5 Mountain West) gave up first-inning runs in each game of the series, losing 3-2 Friday night and 4-2 Saturday afternoon. As has happened lately, the Bulldogs were able to rally for a tie game Friday night only to give up the winning run late, this time on a bases-loaded hit by pitch in the seventh.
San Jose State (22-10, 2-1) was up 2-0 Sunday when the Bulldogs went ahead with a four-run third, the big hit a two-out, two-run double by Jade Nua.
All three Fresno State pitchers saw action Sunday, with freshman Danielle Lung (5-1) out of Clovis High getting the win with 2 2/3 innings in the middle, sophomore starter Danielle East coming back in to end a sixth-inning Spartans rally and sophomore Hailey Dolcini pitching a 1-2-3 seventh for her first save.
San Jose State’s Fresno connection was productive to the delight of a large Spartans fan contingent: Cassidy Clark, the junior second baseman out of Clovis West High, was 3 for 10 with four RBIs; Alyssa Avila, the senior catcher out of Central, was 4 for 8 with a run; and Taylor Tiger, a freshman outfielder out of Clovis High, was a defensive replacement in all three games.
Next weekend, the Bulldogs fill their Mountain West bye with the Fresno State Invitational. The Bulldogs play the first of their six games Thursday night against San Diego.
This story was originally published March 24, 2019 at 5:05 PM with the headline "Bulldogs suffer weekend series losses at home to San Jose State in baseball and softball."