Fresno State improved to 24-3 in WAC Tournament games since 2006 and will play No. 2 seed Sacramento State on Friday night at 7 p.m. PT for a spot in the WAC Championship game.
Fresno State won for the ninth time in the past 12 games to advance in the WAC Tournament winner's bracket.
MESA, Ariz. --- The fifth-seeded Fresno State baseball team defeated No. 1 seed New Mexico State 15-8 on Thursday night during day two action of the 2012 Western Athletic Conference Tournament.
"It was a grind tonight," Fresno State head baseball coach Mike Batesole said. "That's a great New Mexico State team that we had to beat. It's an offense that will grind you down."
Junior pitcher Justin Haley earned his seventh win of the year in 5.2 innings of work, including five scoreless to start the game, and struck out four batters, but both offenses took flight in a grind-it-out clinic.
The seven-run victory featured Fresno State scoring the game's first 12 runs - highlighted by a 10-run second inning. The second-inning scoring bonanza was two runs shy of the school record last achieved against Illinois in 2001 and sent 13 batters to the plate.
NMSU got on the board with six runs in the sixth before senior reliever Gene Escat came in to relive Haley and posted his first save of the season and third of his Bulldog career. Escat tossed the final 3.1 innings and gave up just a pair of runs.
The Bulldogs recorded 20 hits on the night to equal their season high from opening weekend.
By taking down the No. 1 seed, the 'Dogs remained in the winner's bracket and earned a Friday night match-up with the second-seeded Sacramento State Hornets at 7 p.m. PT. The game will be carried live on AM 940 KYNO.
Fresno State (27-25) has won nine of its past 12 games and 10 of its past 14. The Bulldogs took two of its three meetings against Sacramento State (30-26) during the regular season.
BULLDOG BONES
• Fresno State now owns a 24-3 record in the WAC Tournament games since 2006.
• Fresno State is now 82-30 during the month of May since 2006.
• Fresno State improved to 9-3 in May games this season, which is the program's best record for the crucial month since the 'Dogs went 10-3 in 2007 and 13-0 in 2006.
• Under head coach Mike Batesole, the Bulldogs are 38-13 in postseason play, including both the WAC and NCAA Tournaments combined.
2012 WAC BASEBALL TOURNAMENT (Mesa, Ariz.) Wednesday, May 23 GAME 1: No. 5 Fresno State 8, No. 4 Hawai'i 2
GAME 2: No. 3 Nevada 4, No. 6 Louisiana Tech 3
Thursday, May 24
GAME 3: No. 6 Louisiana Tech 9, No. 4 Hawai'i 6 (Hawai'i Eliminated)
GAME 4: No. 2 Sacramento State 15, No. 3 Nevada 5 (8) GAME 5: No. 5 Fresno State 15, No. 1 New Mexico State 8
Friday, May 25
GAME 6: No. 6 Louisiana Tech vs. No. 1 New Mexico State (11 a.m. PT)
GAME 7: Game 6 Winner vs. No. 3 Nevada (3 p.m. PT) GAME 8: No. 2 Sacramento State vs. No. 5 Fresno State (7 p.m. PT)
Saturday, May 26
GAME 9: Game 7 Winner vs. Game 8 Loser (3 p.m. PT)
GAME 10: Game 8 Winner vs. Game 9 Winner (7 p.m. PT) -- (WAC Championship If Game 8 Winner Wins)
Sunday, May 27 (If Necessary)
GAME 11: WAC Championship (Noon PT) -- (Winner Receives Automatic Bid to NCAA Tournament)
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