Nation̢۪s top talent gives Bulldogs̢۪ ace Melloh first two losses of the 2009 season.

Coach Margie Wright and the Fresno State softball team love competition, and the Cathedral City Classic offered just that this past weekend in Southern California.

The Bulldogs were one of 18 ranked teams playing in the 32-team tournament. Four of those teams who faced Fresno State were Florida, North Carolina, Northwestern and UCLA.

“It’s a great tournament and great exposure for our players,â€Â Wright said. “We always request to play against Top 25 teams.â€Â

Fresno State picked up two victories versus No. 12 Northwestern and No. 21 North Carolina. They also earned a hard-fought win versus unranked Maryland.

“When you beat two ranked teams, it’s good for your team,â€Â Wright said. “Our pitchers did really well in both games.â€Â

The winning pitcher against Northwestern was Morgan Melloh, who struck out 11 batters and allowed just two hits in the 3-0 victory.

Melloh also joined an exclusive club during the tournament, the 500 strikeout club. She now has 507 career strikeouts in her softball career.

“She’s an outstanding pitcher,â€Â Wright said. “She’s been great since she’s been here.â€Â

Melloh improved her victory total to four on the 2009 season with her performance against Northwestern.

Freshman a ‘fighter’

Melloh wasn̢۪t the only pitcher that Wright was impressed with РMackenzie Oakes has also impressed the long-time softball coach.

Oakes was the winning pitcher in the 4-2 victory against North Carolina. The freshman from Bakersfield struck out seven batters and earned her second victory of the season. She hasn̢۪t lost a game so far in her Bulldog softball career.

“Oakes is going to be very good and I’m pleased,â€Â Wright said. “She’s a fighter and I was extremely pleased with her performance.â€Â

Oakes pitched all seven innings against North Carolina on Saturday.

Top teams excite ‘Dogs

Despite their success on Saturday, the Bulldogs had their struggles early on in the Cathedral City Classic and at the end of the tournament. It all began against the highest-ranked team they had to go against.

No. 2 ranked Florida defeated the Bulldogs 8-0 on Thursday. The Gators scored all eight runs in just five innings.

“You wouldn’t have recognized us out there,â€Â Wright said. “We were nervous and Florida is very good.â€Â

Fresno State then struggled against a Maryland team that hasn̢۪t had much success this season. Maryland is currently 2-6 but Fresno State̢۪s Haley Perkins saw a Terrapins team who showed up ready to play on Saturday.

“Maryland was hard because we didn’t show up at first,â€Â Perkins said. “We struggled, but in the end, a victory is a victory.â€Â

Perkins was strong at the plate against Maryland. She batted four times and had three hits off of Terrapin pitchers Sarah Dooley and Kerry Hickey in the 2-1 win.

The senior third baseman also led the way against Northwestern, with one hit and scoring one of three runs against the Wildcats.

Much like her coach, Perkins also wants to play against the best.

“I love playing against top competition,â€Â Perkins said. “Playing against top teams helps prepare us for the postseason.â€Â

One team that Fresno State is very familiar with when reaching postseason play is UCLA. The Bruins were the final opponent the Bulldogs had to face in the Cathedral City Classic.

UCLA is now 38-10 all-time against Fresno State and concluded the tournament with a 10-2 win on Sunday against the Bulldogs. The Bruins earned the victory in six innings.

The Bulldogs return to Fresno with a 6-3 record on the year. They will also prepare for their next challenge, their home opener versus Utah Valley this Thursday night.

Fresno State faced tough competition in the Cathedral City Classic against four different ranked teams, and struggled at both the beginning and end of the tournament.

Haley Perkins did send this message to Fresno State softball fans for the rest of the season:

“We’re going to give it all that we have,â€Â Perkins said.