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<td width="343" valign="bottom"><p class="date"><!-- InstanceBeginEditable name="date" --><a href="default.html">3/17/04• Vol.
128, No. 23</a><!-- InstanceEndEditable --></p></td>
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<td align="left" valign="top"><!-- InstanceBeginEditable name="sectionheadlines" --><a href="scroggin.jsp">Records
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<h1><font size="5">Records going down quick</font></h1>
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<p align="justify">Veronica Green helped the Bulldogs to a doubleheader
sweep on Tuesday night against Long Island.</p>
<p class="byline">-Photo by Ryan Smith</p>
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<p class="byline">Simple Text</p>
<p class="byline">By Joshua D. Scroggin</p>
<p>Now that the Terminator is the governor, it seems two Bulldogs softball
players have decidedly taken his old job.</p>
<p> Pitcher Jamie Southern has terminated more batters by way of strikeout
than anyone else in Fresno State history. Shortstop Christina Clark terminates
yellow softballs—by hitting them over the fence.</p>
<p> Like two sophisticated softball robots sent from the future, they have
targeted the Fresno State record book for termination.</p>
<p> “
There’s no question they’re two of my best,” Fresno
State coach Margie Wright said about Clark and Southern.</p>
<p> Southern recently broke Amanda Scott’s Fresno State and Western
Athletic Conference career strikeout record. That’s right—THE
Amanda Scott.</p>
<p> Scott was the ace of the Bulldogs’ national championship team in
1998. She was a four-time all-American, and she led Fresno State in wins
in each of her four seasons. </p>
<p> Last Tuesday, Southern surpassed Scott’s team record of 851 with
an 11-strikeout performance against Virginia that brought Southern’s
total to 860. </p>
<p> It’s only a week later, and she now has more than 900.</p>
<p> After a consistent performance in the Clovis Auto Row Classic and notching
13 strikeouts in a 5-0 win over Long Island in the first half of Tuesday’s
doubleheader, Southern pushed her total to 902.</p>
<p> To hardcore softball fans this might not be a surprise—especially
to those who’ve been watching Southern since her freshmen season
when, just like Scott, she made the 10-minute move from Clovis High (not
the future) to Fresno State. This might not even sound surprising to
casual softball fans (a.k.a. you) who’ve seen so many seemingly
carbon-copied front-page photos of Southern’s follow through, they
can’t remember when she wasn’t patrolling the circle at Fresno
State. </p>
<p> It’s easy to be desensitized by Southern’s success. She’s
been shoved in our faces more times than violence on television.</p>
<p> But this is the shocking part about her termination of the career record—she’s
still a junior. </p>
<p> Southern broke Scott’s career record a little more than a third
into her junior year. She did it in more than 45 fewer appearances and
more than 180 fewer innings pitched.</p>
<p> Southern’s not just rewriting the WAC and Fresno State record books.
After Tuesday’s performance, she crashed the NCAA’s top-25
list of career strikeouts. </p>
<p> Most career record breakers get to bask in the glow of media attention
given during their chase for the record, and any extra amount of statistics
the get over that record is like frosting on the Krispy Kremes. But Southern’s
got another year and a half to build on all her accolades. </p>
<p> Southern will and so will sophomore shortstop Christina Clark—as
long as neither goes pro. </p>
<p> Clark, the 2004 WAC preseason player of the year, is on pace to terminate
the school’s career home run record. She might be able to do it
this year, if not it will come early next.</p>
<p> Clark tied the school’s single-season record with 15 home runs
as a freshman. She has 10 so far this season after belting one in the
second half of last night’s doubleheader with Long Island, an 8-0
TKO in the fifth inning. 15 + 10 = 25. </p>
<p> The career record? 36—slugged by Bulldogs legend Nina Lindenberg,
another important notch on the key that unlocked Fresno State softball’s
national championship in 1998.</p>
<p> If Clark were to establish a new school record for home runs in her
sophomore season...I can’t even finish this sentence.</p>
<p> Theoretically, Clark should destroy the school’s career mark for
home runs and set one more untouchable than Kevin Costner—but slightly
less untouchable than that guy from “Unsolved Mysteries.” </p>
<p> She’s the best hitter the Bulldogs have had in years, maybe even
ever. She leads the team in runs, hits, doubles, home runs, runs batted
in, walks, stolen bases, total bases and slugging percentage.</p>
<p> Wright said she aims to get these types of record chasers on the team
each season, but acknowledged what a special time it is for Fresno
State softball.</p>
<p> “
I think we have the best fans in the nation, and I think they’re
fortunate.”</p>
<p> They’re fortunate to watch the termination of the record books
right before their eyes, and it’s not likely there will be any
sequels any time soon.</p>
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