Fresno State baseball: Bulldogs hold off San Jose State

Kevin Viers got Fresno State off to a quick start – and set himself up for a big game – Saturday night at Beiden Field.

Viers blasted a two-run homer during a five-run first inning and finished with three hits as the Bulldogs beat San Jose State 8-6 to take the first two of a three-game Mountain West Conference baseball series.

Viers also would double and score on Jake Stone’s double during Fresno State’s two-run second inning and blasted his second home run of the game, a solo shot, in the sixth.

The Bulldogs also received run-scoring singles from Austin Guibor and Jesse Medrano and a sacrifice fly from Korby Batesole in the first inning and an RBI sacrifice bunt from Guibor in the second.

Fresno State would those runs as the Spartans chipped away throughout the night, getting a two-run home run from Ozzy Braff in a four-run fifth inning, a run-scoring single from Braff in the sixth and Tyler Olivet’s RBI triple in the ninth before Bulldog reliever Tim Borst came on and got the final three outs.

Borst struck out Shane Timmons and Brendt Citta, then got Michael Breen on a fielder’s choice after walking Justin Beck, to strand the potential tying runs on base.

The Bulldogs finished with 13 hits, including two apiece by Stone, Batesole and Scott Silva.

Former Selma High standout Hilario Tovar pitched in relief for San Jose State and held Fresno State to one run on five hits over five innings while striking out six.

The teams conclude the series at 1:05 p.m. Sunday. Fresno State took 2 of 3, losing the series finale in 10 innings, when the teams played in San Jose on March 24-26.

This story was originally published April 23, 2016 at 9:11 PM with the headline "Fresno State baseball: Bulldogs hold off San Jose State."