Chance for sweep eludes 'Dogs in series finale

By Joshua D. Scroggin

Beating the Bulldogs 6-3 Sunday, San Jose State turned Beiden Field’s Mother’s Day smattering of fans into something more like a crowded nightclub.

The Spartans had more singles than “college night” at On the Rocks.

San Jose State (20-28-1, 8-16 Western Athletic Conference) lined, looped and blooped 15 singles in the game, including four in a three-run rally in the top of the first inning.

Spartans designated hitter Josh Lansford sent a one-out single to center off Bulldogs starter Michael Cooper to score shortstop Anthony Contreras from second.

Two batters later, first baseman Scott Niheu hit a bases loaded single to score left fielder Travis Becktel and Lansford, pushing San Jose State’s lead to 3-0. The Spartans scored once in each of the next two innings, and starter Matt Durkin did the rest.

Fresno State (22-28, 10-11 WAC) cruised to 10-1 and 14-4 victories over the Spartans in the first two games of the series Friday and Saturday, but game-three starter Durkin baffled the Bulldogs unlike his two predecessors.

“ He just throws a really heavy fastball,” Fresno State second baseman and WAC hits leader Ryan Haag said. “It’s like a Roger Clemens fastball.”

It’s the kind of fastball, Haag said, big league scouts are very fond of.

Durkin, a projected first-round draft pick, pitched 8 innings Sunday, cooling off the Bulldogs bats and holding them to just three runs on nine hits while striking out three.

One Fresno State bat that did not cool off was centerfielder Richie Robnett’s. The sophomore extended his hit streak to 22 games, going 3 for 3 with a home run, a stolen base and a walk.

“ I feel confident at the plate right now,” said Robnett , who’s leading the WAC in doubles, total bases, stolen bases, batting average and slugging percentage.

Robnett drove Durkin’s 2-1 offering in the third inning over Pete Beiden’s retired No. 2 on the right-center field wall and right into the north wall of the weight room. The home run pushed Robnett’s team-leading home run total to 13 for the season and cut the Spartans’ lead to 5-1.

After Haag and Robnett scored on sacrifices in the bottom of the fifth, the San Jose State lead was 6-3 in the sixth inning when Fresno State reliever Matt Scott came on to replace fellow reliever David Griffin, who had just given up his second run.

Scott shut down the Spartans for the next three innings and said he was confident the team had the ability to come back.

“ We know we can do it,” Scott said. “We scored six runs in the first inning yesterday.”

He said he’s convinced the team doesn’t need to get early leads to win as it did in the first two games and that it can compete in close games and even come from behind.

“ Early in the season, we were fighting,” Scott said. “We know we’re a fighting club.”

But the bulldogs could fight within no closer than three. Robnett said the batters were hitting too many balls off the end of the bat.

“ We didn’t play to our potential,” Robnett said.

Fresno State can’t afford not to play up to its potential any more as the fourth-place Bulldogs wrap up the WAC season with a series at second-place Hawaii before hosting league front-runner No. 3 Rice and third-place Nevada in the next three weeks.

Fresno State was projected to finish second in the WAC behind defending national champion Rice in the preseason coach’s poll. The next three series will either make or break the projection.