Bulldogs exercise Demons

By Darrell Copeland III
The Collegian

If Thursday night’s game against No. 21 DePaul is any indication, the rest of the Bulldog Classic field will have their hands full with Robin Mackin and the Fresno State Bulldogs.

Mackin threw seven innings of two-hit ball and struck out seven Blue Demons batters in the Bulldogs 4-2 victory. Both hits came from the Blue Demons’ second baseman Amber Patton, and both came by way of the bunt.

The high-speed winds and frigid air that succumbed Bulldog Diamond had no affect on Mackin, with both of the Blue Demon runs coming after Bulldog errors.

Fresno State (14-9), nationally ranked itself at No. 25 according to the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate poll, scored all the runs it would need in the bottom of the third inning. The Bulldogs’ Shannon Garvin led off the inning and reached on a DePaul error, setting the tone for the way things would go the rest of the game. Senior slugger Christina Clark drew a walk in her plate appearance, setting the Bulldogs up with two runners on and no outs.

After a Haley Perkins lineout, both Merryann Barr and Kristin Sylvester singled to give Fresno State a 2-0 lead.

Nichole Willis earned a bases loaded walk for the Bulldogs’ final run of the inning.

The 4th run for the Bulldogs came with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning when Perkins singled in Clark after she tripled to right field moments earlier.

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