'Dogs fall short of sweep

Fresno State lost Sunday at Beiden Field, but took two of three games from a Nevada team that was atop the WAC heading into the series

By DARRELL COPELAND

Duh-nuh-nuh, duh-nuh-nuh. The theme song of a certain highlight show was the theme of the day for the Nevada Wolf Pack.

And Nevada’s highlights were the reason for the Fresno State baseball team’s 8-2 loss to the Wolf Pack on Sunday. Even with Sunday’s loss, the Bulldogs managed to pull out two of three games in the series.

Fresno State coach Mike Batesole seemed content with his team’s effort this weekend.

“We knew we needed to get two out of three against Nevada,” Batesole said.

On Sunday, it was Nevada shortstop Robert Marcial’s diving grab and throw that summed up the way the seasons have gone for both the Bulldogs (21-23, 7-8 Western Athletic Conference) and Wolf Pack (20-17. 9-6).

In the bottom of the third inning, Bulldogs freshman Todd Sandell led off the inning with a one-hop smash up the middle, but it was snagged out of mid-air by a fully laid out Marcial, who quickly jumped to his feet and threw out the hustling Sandell.

That was the first of many highlights for the Wolf Pack, which also smacked three home runs, including Shawn Scobee’s 10th of the year. That left the Bulldogs in a position they have been in often this year — trying to find themselves.

“The way the numbers are playing out, we’re going to have to win [every series] the rest of the way,” Batesole said.

While Fresno State is once again trying to find itself, Beau Mills is not.

One of the lone bright spots this season has been Mills, the freshman third baseman who is batting .325 and leads the team in RBIs, home runs and triples. Mills’ 45 RBIs and 15 home runs are also tops in the WAC.

On Sunday, Mills hit his 15th home run of the season, tying him for ninth on the school’s all-time single-season list with 15 games remaining in the season. That type of effort landed Mills on the Baseball America midseason Freshman All-America team.

“He’s taken some good mature at-bats,” Batesole said. “And he keeps getting better and better.”

In Friday’s victory, the Bulldogs defeated the Wolf Pack 3-1. Fresno State pitcher Matt Garza threw eight innings, while Mills connected for two home runs in a 3-for-4 effort.

Saturday’s 10-7 Bulldogs victory came in come-from-behind fashion. Bulldogs freshman Brian Lapin and senior David Gomez led the charge with three RBIs apiece.

Fresno State now has an uphill climb to get back in the chase for the WAC title. Of the 15 games remaining this season, nine of them are on the road. The Bulldogs’ record this season on the road is 1 –10.

“That’s a situation we’ve put ourselves in,” Mills said.

SOFTBALL

Jamie Southern was at it again this past weekend — it being setting more records.

This time it was the school and WAC records for career wins. Southern is the new leader since gathering her 108th victory on Friday in No. 20 Fresno State’s 4-2 win over Tulsa at Bulldog Diamond.

Fresno State swept the three-game series from the Hurricane, as Southern shut out Tulsa 3-0 in game one on Friday and improved to 19-3 with a 2-0 shutout on Saturday.

Southern earned all three wins in the series as the Bulldogs improved to 32-10, 8-1 WAC.

Fresno State shortstop Christina Clark hit a two-out, two-run single on Saturday to give the Bulldogs their only runs.

The Bulldogs are on the road the next two weeks for WAC series at Louisiana Tech and Nevada.