Win has 'Dogs ready for PJQ
Ryan Tubongbanua / The Collegian
After missing the first 20 games of the season due to an AC joint injury, junior relief pitcher Brandon Miller returned to the mound, retiring all three opposing batters consecutively on groundouts. Miller will be key in relief for the Bulldogs. |
By Darrell Copeland III
The Collegian
A normal baseball game it was not.
Fresno State’s tune-up game for the Pepsi-Johnny Quik Classic against Bucknell had its fair share of oddball events. The Bulldogs (13-8) defeated the Bison (3-5) in just two hours and ten minutes, 3-1.
A continuing trend, Sunday’s game was yet again very cold and windy, rare for this time of year during the baseball season.
Bucknell’s Ryan Gryskevicz found himself on an adventure for a routine fly ball off the bat of Fresno State’s Christian Vitters, camping under the ball before diving at the last second to make the catch.
The biggest piece of news for the Bulldogs was good, as junior pitcher Brandon Miller made his comeback from an AC joint injury.
“I’m just getting back out there, finally,” Miller said.
Miller was sharp on the mound, consistently hitting spots and throwing strikes while retiring all three batters he faced on groundballs.
A reliever with experience, Miller figured to play a prominent role in the bullpen, and his return to the mound made the day for Fresno State coach Mike Batesole.
“Yeah that was beautiful to see,” Batesole said. “That was the highlight of the night for me.”
The scariest part of the night was no doubt Bucknell’s Chris Brannan getting beaned in the head by a fastball from Bulldog pitcher Eddie Romero. The pitch, according to Fresno State catcher Danny Grubb, got away from Romero and hit Brannan directly in the earflap, dropping him to the ground.
Brannan was reportedly taken to a local hospital after being taken out of the game. Romero’s pitch count to that point was over 100.
Getting only his fourth start of the season, Grubb called a masterful game from behind the plate. Calling his own pitches through the eighth inning, Grubb got both Romero and Miller to combine for 8 strikeouts, in addition to making the tag for the final out at home plate. After a base hit from Bucknell’s Brad Duvall to center field, Loren Storey fired a one-hop throw to Grubb as he tagged out a head-first diving Bison runner to end the game.
Grubb also had two hits in the game, pushing his season average up to .231.
“It’s good to get a shot and get rolling with things,” Grubb said.
As a freshman, Grubb has only played in eight games, only playing sparingly behind usual starter Frank LoNigro.
“It’s definitely different not being able to see pitches every day,” Grubb said.
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