'Dogs take good with the bad
Fresno State loses two of three, but find heroes in the process
Andrew Riggs / The Collegian
Moments after crushing a fastball over the left field scoreboard, Fresno State freshman Adam O'Daniel (holding helmet) received plenty of congratulations from teammates. The home run is O'Daniels first career hit. |
By Darrell Copeland
The Collegian
The run of consecutive series victories is over.
After taking the third game of the series against Fresno State 6-3, the No. 12 Stanford Cardinal (9-4) ensured a 2 of 3 series victory over the Bulldogs (7-8).
For every negative the Bulldogs encountered, there was a positive. Friday night, the Bulldogs were defeated by the Cardinal 3-2, but they also lost junior Nick Moresi and sophomore Todd Sandell to broken hands. Each is expected to miss at least 6-8 weeks.
Moresi did come in to pinch-run and play the outfield, but will be unable to hit, meaning he will likely be on the bench until he becomes healthy.
“It’s difficult,” Moresi said. “I’m just trying to keep it positive on the bench.”
While two players went down for the Bulldogs, four others filled in, contributing in Saturday’s comeback victory over Stanford, 7-5, and setting the tone for what the tone for the series would end up being — surprise performers.
All four Fresno State pinch hitters, Ozzie Lewis, Jared Halpert, Ryan Overland and Chase Moore, were successful in their pinch-hit bids, and combined for five RBIs.
More surprises would come in the series, mainly from freshman third baseman Adam O'Daniel. O'Daniel would get his first start at third base in Saturday’s game with Sandell injured and last year’s starter Beau Mills at designated hitter due to a sore shoulder.
Start number one for O’Daniel was approved of by head coach Mike Batesole, but start number two for O’Daniel fared even better.
In addition to errorless defense, O’Daniel connected on a homerun in just his third at-bat of his career.
The homerun sailed well over the Pete Beiden scoreboard in left field, coming to a stop in the grassy field next to Cedar Ave.
It was O’Daniel’s defense that would earn the praise of Batesole.
"More importantly [than the home run], he played solid defense and that’s what you need," Batesole said.
Yet another highlight for the Bulldogs came in the fourth inning of Sunday’s game against the Cardinal.
With Stanford’s Michael Taylor on second base, Cardinal designated hitter Brendan Domaracki singled to left, setting up a play at the plate.
The Bulldogs’ Steve Susdorf fielded the ball and threw a one-hopper to catcher Frank LoNigro, who made a nice scoop of the ball and tagged out the 6-foot-6, 250-pound Taylor at the plate.
But even with all of the positives for the Bulldogs, Fresno State still expects to win, and expects the effort it puts in will pay off soon.
"We played our butts off this weekend and the last couple of weekend’s," Moresi said.
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