Feb. 4, 2006
Box Score
Los Angeles, Calif. -
In a game that had a little bit of everything, the Bulldogs grabbed their first win of the year in dramatic fashion over two days, socking four home runs and holding on through a late UCLA rally to win 11-9. Christian Vitters had a two home run game for the Bulldogs, hitting a three-run homer last night before hitting the game-winner, a solo shot in the seventh.
Fresno State was in command in the first half of the game, beginning at the originally scheduled time of 6 p.m. Friday evening. Starter Doug Fister pitched all three completed innings for the Bulldogs, striking out five and allowing just one run while the Bulldogs offense had a great day, as Steve Susdorf hit a deep home run to left to grab a 3-0 lead in the third inning. That ball disappeared into the mist however, prompting the first of two fog delays on the night.
When play resumed, the Bulldogs' hot hitting did as well. Fresno State placed their first two runners on base, and Christian Vitters cleared them with his first home run of the game, giving the Bulldogs a 6-0 lead. The Bruins picked up a run in the bottom half of the third, but as the fog rolled in again, Steve Susdorf again was the catalyst behind a stoppage, scoring Erik Wetzel on a double to left-center. The umpires decided to halt play at that point due to the fog, beginning again on Saturday afternoon.
The Bulldogs again started quickly. With Steve Susdorf already standing on second due to the stoppage, Fresno State added two more runs with the long ball, as Junior Kent Sakamoto hit a home run over the batters eye at dead center to give the Bulldogs a 9-1 lead.
UCLA began to rally at that point however, scoring three runs of their own in the bottom half, and moving closer again in the sixth inning with another three runs to bring the Bruins to within two at 9-7. Vitters again came through for the `Dogs in the seventh though, hitting his second home run of the game with a solo shot the opposite way to give the Bulldogs a three-run lead.
The Bruins moved closer again, picking up two more runs in the bottom of the eighth to pull within one run of the Bulldogs. Fresno State continued to answer back, scoring a run of their own off of a Beau Mills RBI single to grab a two-run lead.
With Eddie Romero working into his third inning of relief, UCLA began another rally, loading the bases with no one out to put Fresno State into a late jam. Romero was up to the challenge though, striking out Mike Metzgar to get the first out, forcing Sean Smith to pop up and getting Chris Jensen to ground out to get out of the inning scoreless and preserve the win in relief.
