Baseball drops 2 at Rice

The Bulldogs split a Friday doubleheader before losing 10-2 on Saturday against the nation's 15th-ranked team

Staff Report / The Collegian

After splitting a doubleheader against No. 15 Rice on Friday, Fresno State had a chance to take a road series and make up some ground in the Western Athletic Conference.

But the Bulldogs couldn’t get it done, losing 10-2 in the series finale in Houston. Rice’s Joe Savery pitched eight innings, striking out 15.

Fresno State freshman third baseman Beau Mills continued to impress, hitting two solo home runs against the Owls in Saturday’s game. Mills leads the WAC with 17 homers on the season. Last season, the Bulldogs’ leading home run hitter was Richie Robnett with 13. Robnett was a first-round draft pick of the Oakland Athletics.

Mills’ first homer came in the fourth inning to get the Bulldogs on the scoreboard, though they were already down 4-1. But Rice answered with two home runs of its own in the fifth from Adam Hale and Lance Pendleton.

Mills’ second shot of the day came in the ninth off of reliever Cole St. Clair, when the Bulldogs were already down 10-1.

On Friday, the Bulldogs lost the opener 6-4 before holding on to an early 6-1 lead en route to an 8-7 victory in game two.

In the Bulldogs’ win, pitcher Matt Garza tossed six innings, allowing four hits and one run while striking out six.

Kent Sakamoto started the scoring with his second home run of the season in the victory. Nick Moresi knocked in the Bulldogs’ final two runs of the game on a single.

Fresno State returns to Beiden Field Friday to begin a three-game series against San Jose State. The Spartans took two of three from the Bulldogs earlier this season in San Jose.