Coming into the weekend with six wins in seven games, Fresno State’s baseball team lost a weekend series 2-1 against San Jose State on April 13-15. The Bulldogs won Friday’s game, 11-7, but lost Saturday, 15-7, and Sunday, 10-7.

The Bulldogs began Game 1 with pitcher Ryan Jensen on the mound, who allowed a run in the first inning. The Bulldogs offense quickly responded with a Torin Goldstein single to bring in JT Arruda.

Later in the inning, Zach Presno hit a home run to bring Carter Bins and Goldstein home, giving Fresno State an early 4-1 lead. For the next three innings, Jensen settled down and managed to keep the Spartans from scoring.

In the fourth, Bulldogs Miles Tomczak and Korby Batesole both scored. And in the fifth, Bins, Batesole, Nolan Dempsey, Presno and Goldstein all scored, including a two-run homer by Goldstein making the score 11-2.

The Spartans answered with five of their own, but the Bulldogs were able to hold them off for the rest of the game. The final score was 11-7 with Fresno State having 16 hits and two errors.

In Game 2 of the series, the Spartans scored six unanswered runs, with four in the first and two in the next inning to take a 6-0 lead.

The Bulldogs were able to get on the board in the third thanks to a three-run home run by Jeremiah Burks.

By the sixth, the ‘Dogs still trailed the Spartans 8-4.

The Bulldogs made several pitching changes in order to get out of the seventh. Unphased, the Spartans scored five more runs to extend their lead to 13-4.

Although Fresno State was able to score two runs in the eighth and one more in the ninth, the Spartans’ lead proved too much for the ‘Dogs after scoring in two more runs in the last two innings.

Game 2 of the series ended 15-7 in favor of San Jose, splitting the series 1-1 and leaving the series to be decided in Game 3.

The Bulldogs celebrated the 2008 Fresno State National Championship team in the beginning of Game 3. Sixteen members of the 2008 team were present before the start of the game to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. They also took pictures with fans and the National Championship trophy after signing autographs.

The last game started with pitcher Davis Moore on the mound for the ‘Dogs who allowed two runs by the Spartans in the first.

Fresno State responded with a run thanks to Arruda whose sacrifice brought in Zach Ashford who was at third.

Moore settled down, and along with the defense, Fresno State managed to keep the Spartans from scoring in the next three innings.

Fresno State scored three runs in the third, taking a 4-2 lead. During the fourth, Goldstein came out of the game with a knee injury that occured while trying to get an out at first base. His condition was not disclosed.

The Bulldogs continued their lead into the fifth when San Jose scored twice to tie the game.

The Spartans took back the lead in the sixth by scoring a run, to give them a 5-4 lead. Bulldog outfielders Ashford and Nolan Dempsey’s big catches kept the Spartans scoreless in the next two innings.

In the eighth, the Bulldogs managed to score twice after a Presno double that scored Burks and Bins. Fresno State went into the top of the ninth with the lead, 6-5.

Pitcher Nikoh Mitchell relieved Moore in the fifth. However, he was relieved by Jamison Hill who gave up five runs before getting the third out to end the Spartans’ scoring.

With two outs already in the inning, Arruda gave the ‘Dogs hope of a comeback when he hit a triple that brought in Batesole.

The Spartans’ lead diminished to three, but it would be too late for the Bulldogs with the next batter grounding out and ending the inning, the game and series.