Mike Howells/The Collegian
The Fresno State baseball team opened up a three-game series against Pepperdine on Saturday because, for the second consecutive week, the Bulldogs Friday night game was canceled due to inclement weather.
Friday’s game was postponed to Sunday after the regularly scheduled 1:05 game.
Saturday’s game featured the pitching matchup of Fresno State’s Derek Benny against the Waves’ Aaron Gates. The Bulldogs won the game 7-3 pushing their perfect record to 4-0.
Benny continued his strong 2011 start in the first Pepperdine matchup, going seven innings and allowing only two earned runs. Reliever Charlie Robertson earned his second save pitching two innings to close out the game. Robertson allowed one unearned run and one hit. This marked the fourth consecutive game that only one reliever was used.
The Bulldogs’ bats made the most of their six hits, crossing home plate seven times, including four over the final three innings. Rightfielder Dusty Robinson, making his first appearance of the season after coming off a five-game suspension, blasted a sixth-inning home run on just his third at bat of the season. Freshman Aaron Judge, an imposing 6-foot-7 leftfielder, also hit his first home run in a Bulldog uniform in the eighth inning.
The Wave were able to strike out 13 Fresno State batters, but also walked six and threw five wild pitches.
Sunday’s first game featured right-handed Bulldog Greg Gonzalez against Pepperdine right-hander Jon Moscot. The ‘Dogs would use some late-game heroics from third baseman Danny Muno to pick up a 7-5 victory to remain undefeated at 5-0. With the bases juiced and one out in the bottom of the eighth, Muno hit a ball to deep left that popped out of David DiPaola’s glove, leading to two clutch Fresno State runs. Muno was credited an RBI since there was only one out.
Matt Weir/The Collegian
Fresno State broke through first when Muno hit an RBI ground out bringing in catcher Austin Wynns in the third. The Bulldogs scored two more times in the fifth. The first came when second baseman Pat Hutcheson hit an RBI single to bring in designated hitter Kenny Wise. The second run of the inning came when centerfielder Brennan Gowens hit a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded and one out.
In the top of the six the Waves, with the help of a Bulldog miscue, were able to string together a pair. A single by Pepperdine centerfielder Brian Humphries brought in third baseman Miles Silverstein, who opened the inning with a double. Humphries would later come around to score when Tyler Brubaker had a pinch-hit single.
The ‘Dogs would answer back with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning. Robinson homered for the second day in a row while Wynns would add a double to bring in Wise, who reached third on a triple.
Pepperdine would score in the seventh when Silverstein beat out a throw to first allowing leftfielder DiPaola to score from third. The Waves were then able to tie the game in the eighth by scoring two runs. Second baseman Joe Sever hit an RBI ground out. Pepperdine would also add another unearned run due to a fielding error by shortstop Garrett Weber.
For the first time this year the Bulldogs would use more than one reliever to finish out a game.
After Gonzalez left after 5.2 innings when he allowed two runs, one earned, the ‘Dogs would use five relievers with Taylor Garrison getting the win and Charlie Robertson picking up the save. The pitching staff ended the game with nine strikeouts and only one walk. Gonzalez had six of the strikeouts.
Fresno State took down the Waves 8-1 in the second half of Sunday’s double header.