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<td width="343" valign="bottom"><p class="date"><!-- InstanceBeginEditable name="date" --><a href="default.html">3/29/04 • Vol.
128, No. 28</a><!-- InstanceEndEditable --></p></td>
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<p><a href="softball.jsp">'Dogs sweep through WAC opener</a></p>
<p><a href="hockey.jsp">Hockey comes up short</a></p>
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<h1><font size="5">'Dogs sweep through WAC opener</font></h1>
<p class="subhead">The Bulldogs open Western Athletic Conference play with
a doubleheader sweep of Nevada</p>
<p class="byline">By Nathan Hathaway</p>
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<p align="justify">Fresno State pitcher Jamie Southern led the
Bulldogs to a 4-2 victory over Nevada in the first game of Saturday’s
doubleheader to open Western Athletic Conference play. </p>
<p class="byline">-Photo by Jeff Criesi</p>
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<p>Laura Ferreira is beginning to emerge as the No. 2 starter Fresno State
will need if it hopes to make a run at a College World Series berth.</p>
<p> All-American Jamie Southern has established her dominance as the game
one pitcher, but the No. 2 spot has been a question.</p>
<p> Ferreira has proven herself to be worthy of the job.</p>
<p> Ferreira pitched a complete-game 4-0 shutout in the second game of
Saturday’s
Western Athletic Conference opening doubleheader against Nevada (23-15,
0-2 WAC) to bring her record to 7-4 on the season. Of the 91 pitches
she threw in the game, 71 were for strikes.</p>
<p> Fresno State also won the first game 4-2. </p>
<p> After opening the season 0-2, Ferreira went on to get five straight
wins. Her only losses after those first two came against No. 1 Arizona
and
No. 11 Stanford.</p>
<p> “
At the beginning of the season,a I was confident,” Ferreira said. “Now
I just know if I get myself in a jam, I can get out of it.”</p>
<p> But the Bulldogs did a good job of keeping Ferreira out of jams Saturday.</p>
<p> The only time Ferreira got in trouble was in the sixth inning, when
Nevada’s
Jiliane Hartfiel, after hitting a single to lead off the inning, got
to third base on a Stacy Mueller single. On the next play Stephanie Grant
hit the ball to second baseman Leticia Pacheco, who threw home to nail
Hartfiel at the plate.</p>
<p> Two groundouts later, the inning was over and Ferreira had gotten out
of the jam.</p>
<p> “
I don’t feel the pressure of having to strike everybody out,” Ferreira
said. “I’ve got a great defense behind me.”</p>
<p> The Bulldogs also made life a bit easier on Ferreira by establishing
an early lead.</p>
<p> Fresno State (29-12, 2-0 WAC) put up two early runs on RBI singles
by Lori Hoffman and Nichole Willis.</p>
<p> “
You’re always happy for that,” Fresno State coach Margie
Wright said. “It allows everyone to relax and not tense up.”</p>
<p> The Bulldogs scored again in the third and fifth innings.</p>
<p> In the second game, Willis went 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run, and
Rachael Donaldson was 2 for 3 with an RBI.</p>
<p> In the first game, Southern had a shutout through the first six innings,
but a pair of hits and an error with two outs allowed Nevada to score
two runs in the top of the seventh.</p>
<p> The second inning, in which the Bulldogs scored their first run, held
two of the more exciting plays in softball.</p>
<p> With Pacheco on third and two out, the Bulldogs’ second baseman
stole home. On the next play, Hoffman was caught in a rundown between
first and second while trying to steal from first. She was eventually
tagged out at second.</p>
<p> The win boosted Southern’s record to 19-5. Hoffman went 2 for 3
with a pair of RBIs.</p>
<p> Fresno State continues its conference season Thursday at Louisiana
Tech.</p>
<p> “
I don’t think you could ask for two better games,” Wright
said. “We executed well.”</p>
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