The Fresno State softball team exchanged a win and a loss in the weekend series against Utah State, bringing its record to 17-24.

The ‘Dogs rotated only four pitchers who allowed 17 runs in the two-game series. Taylor Gilmore struggled in the pitcher’s circle, starting back-to-back and allowing 10 earned runs across both games. 

Serayah Neiss and Shelbi Denman also pitched both games and combined for 7 allowed earned runs during the series. 

The Bulldogs continued being inconsistent at the plate with an 8 run difference between their scoring in the two games. The inability to adjust to good pitching allowed Aggie Hailey McLean to pitch deep in the second game. 

However, the offense on both ends shined through in the first game. Fresno State scored 10 runs and slid past the Aggies in extra innings, 10-9. 

The Aggies offense continued into the second game where they scored 8 runs. Utah State’s  McLean and Tess Bumiller combined for only 2 earned runs in the second game. McLean gave up 2 earned runs across both games, lowering her ERA to 4.15. 

Utah State’s conference record is now 6-7 and matches Fresno State in Mountain West standings at 6th place. 

Fresno State 10, Utah State 9 (April 15)

The ‘Dogs defense began the game messy in the bottom of the first inning, committing an error. 

The scoring began in the second inning with a solo home run off the bat of Alesia Denby, her 7th of the season. 

The Bulldogs continued the scoring in the third inning with a two-run single from Bella Rocco to increase their lead, 3-0. 

Juliana Wilson hit a two-run home run to conclude the scoring in the third inning as the ‘Dogs led 5-0.. 

The Aggies offense woke up in the fourth inning, where a walk with bases loaded, and a 2-RBI double off the bat of Claire Raley combined for 3 runs. The Bulldogs lead was cut down to 5-3. 

The Bulldogs retaliated with back-to-back-to-back home runs. Keahilele Mattson, Wilson, and Denby all hit solo home runs in the fifth inning, and returned their lead to 5 runs. 

Aggies batter Gabriella Jimenez hit a two-run home run in the bottom half of the fifth inning to cut the ‘Dogs down to 3. 

In the seventh inning, an RBI single from Bulldog Kennedy Bunker extended the lead to 4 runs. 

The Aggies returned with a 4-run bottom inning. Tyler Thornton singled to score Jimenez, followed with a fielder’s choice hit by Raley to score Hannah Vargas. Grace Matej hit a 2-RBI double to conclude the seventh inning, pushing the game into extra innings. 

It ended in the ninth, when Bulldog Vanessa Hernandez hit an RBI double to score Denby. The Aggies could not answer and lost the first game, 10-9. 

Denby went 4-for-5 at the plate with two home runs, and led the Bulldogs in runs scored with 4 trips around the bases. 

Fresno State 2, Utah State 10 (April 16)

The ‘Dogs scoring came in early in the second game with a first inning double by Bella Rocco to score Wilson and Martinez. That would be all the Bulldogs would score for the rest of the game.

The Aggies would score for the rest of the competition with the first runs coming in from  a two-RBI double by Jimenez to end the first. Matej added to the Aggies’ score with a two-RBI double to run in  Raley and Kya Pratt. 

In the sixth inning, Jimenez scored after a bases-loaded walk from Thornton, Pratt hit a 1-RBI single and Matej hit a 2-RBI single.

The second game went to Utah State with a score of  10-2.

Pratt went 3-for-4 in game two, and McLean pitched 7 strikeouts and nearly six innings with no earned runs for the Aggies. 

Fresno State returns to Margie Wright Diamond on April 21-23 for a three-game homestand against Nevada.