Fresno State roundup: Bulldogs score and ace plays well in softball sweep of Pacific

Fresno State found some offense for the first time this season, but the Bulldogs very likely don’t sweep Pacific in an opening doubleheader of the Kickoff Classic softball tournament without right-hander Hailey Dolcini.

After striking out 10 in a 9-0 victory over the Tigers in five innings, the senior came back in the fifth inning of Friday’s second game with runners at second and third and just one out, worked her way out of that jam by getting two foul popups and went the rest of the way in a 4-3 victory at Margie Wright Diamond.

“She needed it, we needed it and that’s Dolcini,” coach Linda Garza said. “The ability to start from the get go and I think she had 10 (strikeouts) in that game and it was a five-inning game. That pure dominance gave us the confidence, honestly. That second game got a little closer than we anticipated and it was just great that we found a way to get the runs back again and we were in a position to use her again.

Dolcini struck out nine of the first 11 batters she faced and didn’t allow a hit for 3 2/3 innings in that first game. By the time Pacific (0-2) put a runner on base, she was working with a five-run lead.

The Bulldogs scored twice in the first and received back-to-back home runs from Lexie Webb and freshman Keahilele Mattson to start the second.

Kelcey Carrasco then led off the third with a home run. Mattson hit her second home run to open a four-run fourth, an inning in which the Bulldogs took advantage of four walks and a hit batter.

The runs were big for the Bulldogs (2-3), who were without McKenzie Wilson, Kelsey Hall and Hayleigh Galvan, three starters dealing with injuries. They scored only two runs in dropping their first three games this season at No. 1 UCLA and against Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles.

“(Mattson) she hasn’t done that in practice but she has done that all when we recruited her,” Garza said.

“Lexie Webb is a home run hitting kid and she can smash and she can smash with some of the best of them so being able to get that, it was this big relief for us that, ‘We’ve got an offense.’ And then the fact that we hit four home runs, it was just like, ‘Wow. This is good. This is a good feeling.’”

Volleyball: ‘Dogs sweep San Jose State

Fresno State rallied for its first five-set win since 2019, beating San Jose State 25-21, 18-25, 26-28, 25-20, 15-9 Friday at the Save Mart Center.

The Bulldogs finished a series sweep for their first 2-0 start at home since 2017. They are 3-1 in the Mountain West Conference.

Fresno State last won a five-setter Sept. 6, 2019, against Santa Clara.

Desiree Sukhov had 22 kills, 10 digs, a career high-tying three aces and two assists. Amilya Thompson led with 26 assists, Jocelyn Rodriguez had a career-high 26 digs and Savanah Smith had a career-high seven blocks.

Lacrosse: Skalstad powers 1st win of final season

The Bulldogs’ lacrosse team recorded its first win of its final season with Sydney Skalstad scoring five goals and Logann Eldredge, Hennessey Evans and Megan Walaitis all scoring four times in a 20-11 victory at Kent State.

Skalstad also set a school record with 12 draw controls in the match in Kent, Ohio, breaking the record of nine she set in 2019 as a freshman.

Senior goalkeeper Courtney Walburger had a career-high 10 saves for the Bulldogs (1-1), who play Tuesday at Robert Morris in Moon Township, Pa.

This story was originally published February 19, 2021 at 8:55 PM.