Bulldogs score 50 runs in five games and cap softball tournament sweep with no-hitter

Fresno State’s emphasis on hitting the softball hard was on full display Friday through Sunday in the Kickoff Classic at Margie Wright Diamond.

The Bulldogs scored 50 runs in five games, all blowout victories. The capper came Sunday afternoon when Fresno State beat Saint Mary’s 10-0 in six innings on Alesia Denby’s walkoff grand slam.

Denby, a freshman who was recruited as a middle infielder but has found a spot in the lineup at first base, also had two triples and totaled eight RBIs.

She backed a combined no-hitter by Hailey Dolcini, who went five innings, and Danielle East, who pitched a 1-2-3 sixth.

Fresno State also beat Cal 9-3, Cal Poly 13-1 and Fordham twice, 8-4 and 10-1.

That’s three run-rule wins for a team that leads the nation with 14 triples and has hit eight home runs (by eight players) and nine doubles. The tournament sweep backed up a solid 3-2 showing in the season-opening South Florida tournament with losses to Top 25 teams Florida and Michigan and a win over the host Bulls. That win got an RPI boost this weekend when South Florida beat Top 25 teams Texas Tech and Georgia.

Pitchers Dolcini, East, Danielle Lung and Dariana Orme allowed nine runs (five earned) in 30 innings.

The Bulldogs have a Tuesday date at 2019 NCAA Tournament qualifier Stanford then host another five-team tournament Thursday-Sunday with games against UC Santa Barbara, Illinois-Chicago (twice), 2019 NCAA Tournament qualifier Ohio State and Pacific.