Bulldogs deal 'Bows sixth loss in a row

Advertiser Staff

Casey McGehee's RBI single in the eighth inning snapped a 3-all tie to lift Fresno State over Hawai'i, 5-3, in last night's Western Athletic Conference baseball series opener at Beiden Field in Fresno, Calif.

The win gave retiring Bulldogs' coach Bob Bennett a milestone 1,300 career coaching victories. At 1,300-759-4 in 34 seasons, he is seventh all-time in Division I coaching wins.

Ben Fritz (9-5) gave up three runs — two earned — on eight hits and no walks with eight strikeouts in eight innings for the Bulldogs (30-27, 17-11 WAC), who snapped a three-game losing streak. Freshman Chad Edwards pitched a scoreless ninth for his second save.

Chris George (6-6) suffered his second consecutive setback, allowing five runs on 10 hits with no walks in 7¡ innings for the Rainbows (16-38, 5-23), who have lost six in a row.

In the eighth, he allowed a lead-off single to Scott Beshears, who took second on Chris Patrick's sacrifice and scored on McGehee's single to center. George departed after allowing a single to Fritz.

Aaron Pribble came in to get the final two outs, but the first was a sacrifice fly to center by Tobey Riday-White to make it 5-3.

The Rainbows took a 1-0 lead in the first when Danny Mocny led off the game with a triple to right and, one out later, scored on Brent Cook's sacrifice fly to center.

But FSU tied the game in the bottom of the second on Riday-White's sacrifice fly.

Hawai'i regained the lead in the fourth on an RBI double by Julian Russell. A throwing error by FSU third baseman McGehee allowed another run to put UH ahead 3-1.

But FSU tied the game in the fifth on Joey Myers' two-out, two-run home run.

The series continues at 4:15 p.m. HST today. Ricky Bauer (1-8) will start for UH against FSU's Bob Runyon (9-8).