'Dogs enjoy high life after Miller time

Freshman DeAndre Miller hits game-winner to give Fresno State Pepsi/Johnny Quik title

By Zack Walton

The Bulldogs sure don’t mind keeping things interesting.

Because that’s exactly what the Fresno State baseball team (11-14) did Saturday night in its 10-9 win over Brigham Young (10-16).

Fresno State’s eight runs in the last three innings were the difference in the team’s 14th Pepsi/Johnny Quik Classic championship in the 26-year history of the tournament.

The Bulldogs dramatic come-from-behind victory was made even more suspenseful by Fresno State constantly putting together two-out rallies.

Fresno State scored two runs in the seventh, three in the eight and three more in the ninth—all with two outs.

“ Coach [Mike] Batesole tells us to believe in ourselves and just go out there and do what we can do,” said freshman Nick Moresi, who went 3 for 5 in Saturday’s game and was named to the all-tournament team. “And that’s what we did tonight.”

After three runs in the eighth—highlighted by senior Ryan Haag’s two-run triple—which cut the Cougars’ lead to 9-7, the stage was set for the completion of the Bulldogs’ comeback.

Fresno State eased within one run on an RBI single by Moresi.

That brought freshman DeAndre Miller to bat, with two outs and runners on first and second. Miller fell behind in the count 0-2 and was forced to foul off several pitches, before bringing the count full.

Miller sent the 3-2 pitch from Cougars reliever Bryce Burger streaming into center field and traveling all the way to the wall for a go-ahead two-run triple.

At the ping of the bat, the entire Fresno State team jumped out of the dugout and a melee ensued at home plate.

The announced crowd of 3,196 was also brought to its feet by the late comeback and massive celebration in front of the Bulldogs dugout.

Left-hander David Griffin, who took over the mound in the seventh, sat the Cougars down in order in the ninth to give the Bulldogs the tournament title.

The Bulldogs comeback victory against BYU was made extra special by accomplishing it against a pitcher who slammed the door on them in the late innings of Wednesday’s game, securing a 5-3 victory against Fresno State.

Burger, a 6-foot-6 right-hander for the Cougars, got the save in the first meeting between the two teams by recording the last five outs—including striking out the side in the ninth.

“ This [feeling] is unbelievable, I can’t even really describe it...it’s too much right now,” Moresi said. “We worked hard this week and went out there and won this tournament—it wasn’t given to us.”

BYU jumped out to a 7-1 lead in the fifth, led by catalyst Ryan Chambers. The junior led off the first, third, fifth and seventh innings by getting on base and then coming around to score. Chambers went 2 for 3, reaching base his first four times at the plate and led BYU with four runs.

Fresno State had the most all-tournament players with five. Moresi was joined on the all-tournament team by fellow Bulldogs Griffin, Christian Vitters, Chris Patrick and Eddie Romero.

Dallas Baptist senior Drew Noss was named most valuable player, compiling a .500 average and nine runs scored during six tournament games—including a 5 for 5 performance in Thursday’s 9-7 win against Fresno State.

The Bulldogs host a three-game series against Cal State Fullerton starting Friday. The games are the last Fresno State plays before traveling to No. 1 Rice on March 26 to start Western Athletic Conference play.