June 5,2007

Fresno State's regional run

By Bryant-Jon Anteola

A recap of how the Bulldogs fared in the San Diego Regional over the weekend:

Game one (Friday): No 4 Fresno State stunned a feisty, San Diego-dominated crowd at Tony Gwynn Stadium after winning 6-2 against the region's top seed and fourth-ranked team in the nation in the University of San Diego.

Freshman third baseman Tommy Mendonca hit a solo home run to ignite a three-run eighth inning and break a 2-2 tie. Lefty ace Justin Wilson stifled San Diego's mostly left-handed lineup for two runs in 52/3 innings before right-hander Tanner Scheppers closed out the Toreros with 31/3 innings of scoreless relief.

Game two (Saturday): Fresno State once again met its postseason nemesis, Cal State-Fullerton, the same team that knocked the Bulldogs out of regional play last year.

And the outcome looked all too familiar, as No. 2 Fullerton jumped out to a six-run lead and never relinquished it in beating Fresno State 6-4. Now in the losers' bracket of the double-elimination format, the Bulldogs had to win three straight games to win the regional.

Game three (Sunday): Fresno State wasted little time making sure it'd get through its first elimination game, dropping No. 3 Minnesota 11-6. The Bulldogs blindsided the Gophers for six runs in the first inning. But their momentum came to a halt in the top of the fourth when Scheppers, pitching on two days' rest, was nailed in the head with a line drive.

Scheppers was on the ground for 8 minutes before he was placed on a stretcher while wearing a neck brace and taken to a local hospital. Fresno State still held on to set up a showdown with Fullerton.

Game four (Sunday): Coach Mike Batesole waited to find out who was umpiring behind home plate before revealing his lineup. San Diego native Brandon Burke got the nod, but the homecoming quickly became a home beatdown. Burke surrendered a home run on his second pitch of the game, and four overall before being removed after three innings.

Scheppers, who suffered a mild concussion, returned to the Bulldogs dugout midway through the game to offer support. But Fresno State's offense simply couldn't keep up with Fullerton's bats or make up for a shoddy Bulldogs defense that committed six errors. Fullerton ended Fresno State's season for the second straight year with a 13-2 victory.