Willmon home run sparks Fresno State softball team to win

The Fresno State softball team was in a bit of hole Friday afternoon – trailing by a run and held hitless through four innings against Northwestern.

Lindsey Willmon changed all that with one swing.

The junior first baseman hit a two-run home run after Alyssa Villalpando led off the fifth with a walk to power the No. 21/22 Bulldogs to a 7-1 victory in their opening game at the Judi Garman Classic at Cal State Fullerton.

“All I was thinking stepping into the box was that Alyssa just came up with a great at-bat and I wanted to follow up and move her over so we could get the game started,” said Willmon, who had three of the Bulldogs’ six hits and added a sacrifice fly in the seventh to finish with three RBIs.

Fresno State (13-3) tacked on two more runs in the fifth and two in the sixth to defeat the Wildcats (7-8) for the second time in a week.

After issuing a bases-loaded walk that put Northwestern up 1-0 in the first inning, Jill Compton (8-1) went the distance, striking out seven and allowing five hits (just one for extra bases).

The Bulldogs have two games Saturday, facing No. 22/24 Baylor at 2:30 p.m. and Wisconsin at 7:30 p.m. Fresno State concludes the Garman on Sunday against two Pac-12 programs in No. 22 Oregon State (coached by former Bulldogs All-American Laura Berg) and Cal.

Sunbirds coach steps down – Fresno Pacific men’s basketball coach Tim Kisner resigned Friday after guiding the Sunbirds to a 14-13 record in his only season.

Lead assistant C.J. Haydock was named interim coach and a national search for a new coach will start immediately.

This story was originally published March 4, 2016 at 3:28 PM with the headline "Willmon home run sparks Fresno State softball team to win."