1988_03 The Daily Collegian March 1988

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Collegian Sports
California State University, Fresno
Monday, March 14,1988
Bulldogs throw away sweep
By Steve Fountain
Sports Writer
One bad inning during Sunday's double-
header at Bulldog Diamond cost the
Fresno Suae softball team a sweep of the
Cal Staie-Fullerton Titans.
FSU won the first game 3-1.
Fullerton won the second game 4-1,
converting two sixth-inning FSU errors
into three runs.
The Bulldogs entered the sixth inning
tied with Fullerton at 1-1.
Two of Fullerton's first three batters in
the inning singled. With one out, the
Titans had runners at first and second.
Melissa Coombcs hit a ground ball to
first baseman Gena Strang, who tried for
the out at third, but overthrew ihird
baseman Gina LoPiccolo.
Thai allowed one run to score and put
Titans at second and third. Fullerton led 2-
1. Carrie Dever intentionally walked Valerie Douglas to load the bases.
The move paid off as Valerie Van Kirk
grounded lo LoPiccolo, who threw the
runner out at home for the second oul
But left fielder RaeAnn Pifferini, after
charging a looping fly ball by Anjie
Bryant, had the ball pop oul of her glove,
allowing two more runners to score.
Dever got Charis Monroe to pop up to
the mound, ending the inning.
Lane TumajDaiiy Collegian
Fresno State's Kathy Mayer slides Into second base too late to beat the cirow on a force play. The action
occurred during the second game ol FSU's double-header spirt versus Cal State-Fulterton.
The loss dropped Dever's record to 6-3.
Titan Chris Gage, who relieved starter
Janis Okerlund after five-and- two-thirds
innings, picked up her second win against
no defeats.
"We were not mentally sharp in the
inning," said FSU Coach Margie Wright.
"1 never thought we were going to lose
the game until the last oul
"We didn't appear to be fighting. We
play our best with our backs against the
wall. "
No. 3-ranked FSU is 5-1 in the PCAA
and 13-5 overall following the split. No.
5 Fullerton is 3-1 in league and 23-3
overall.
FSU may fall and Fullerton may rise
when the new rankings are released Tuesday.
The Bulldogs are 2-5 against top-10
teams this season, including two loses to
Fullerton. FSU also lost twice lo No. 1
UCLA, and once to No. 6 Arizona.
Aside from iheir one victory over
Fullerton, the Bulldogs defeated No. 10
Arizona.
Melanie Parreni picked-up her seventh
win of the season in the first game of the
twin-bill. She struck out five Titans and
allowed seven hits.
Dever, who played third base in the*
game, weni 2-or-2, with a sacrafice, an
RBI and a run scored.
On Saturday, FSU swept the University of the Pacific 1-0 and 4-0.
Dever threw a no-hiuer in thesccond
game and now has two no-hiltcrs in nine
starts.
Parrent pitched a two-hit shutout in the
first game. The game was scoreless until
FSU scored one run in the eighth inning
to win. The shut out was her fifth of the
year and 44th of her college career.
FSU travels io San Jose Slate for a 6
p.m. double-header Tuesday.
The Bulldogs return home on Saturday
for a 2 p jn. rion-conference double-header
versus Michigan.
FSU baseball faces tough test
'Dogs, 4 other ranked teams open play in Pepsi/Me-N-Ed's Classic
By J
Sports Editor
With five nationally-ranked baseball
clubs among its eight teams, the Pepsi/-
Me-N-EUTs Classic gets trnderway today at
Beiden Field.
The five naked teams give the tournament what is probably tbe strongest
field ever. "It's the toughest field I've seen
in the six yean I've been here," said
Oregon Slate Coach Jack Riley, whose
•cam won the tourney last year.
It's the best pre-NCAA tournament in
the country," aid George Washington
Coach John Casdeherry.
Tourney play opens with Oregon Stale
meeting George Washington at 10 a.m.
and Washington State taking on Brigham
Young at 1 p.m.
Closing out the first round of the six-
day tourney wil! be contests pitting Long
Beach State against Clemson, and Texas
A&M against Fresno State.
The Bulldogs, who are coming off a 10-
7 road victory over the University of San
Francisco Saturday, will eater the tourney
with a 19-6 ranking and a No. 19 ranking
from ESVNfCoilegiate Baseball.
Tm pleased the progress of our
bailclub, bat this will really be a test,"
said FSU Coach Bob Bennett "All the
teams in the tournament are outstanding."
In Texas A&M, the 'Dogs will be
facing what may be its toughest lest
The Aggies (22-3), ranked No. 8 by
Baseball America, return 14 lettermen
from a 44-22-2 team thai reached the
NCAA Mideast Regional finals last year.
Leading the Texas A&M attack will be
second-team All-American Scott Livingstone. The junior third baseman banged
out 19 home runs and 76 RBI in 1987
and was named Southwest Conference
Player of the Year.
Clemson, the No. 17 team m the
nation according to ESPfVCoUegitae
Baseball, ran up a 54-14-1 record last year
and qualified for the NCAA South 1
Regional finals.
The Tigers, who enter the Pepsi/Me-N-
Ed'i Classic with a 15-1 record, return 15
lettennen from '87, including All-Atlantic
Coast catcher Bert Heffernan and All-
ACC outfielder Randy Mazey.
Clemson "s Bill Wilhelm has compiled
a career record of 874-436-10 in 30-plus
years of coaching, and has yet to suffer a
losing season.
Opposing Clemson will be an injury-
plagued Long Beach State club. The
49ers, who are missing the fourth, fifth
and sixth hitters from their lineup, have
hit only four home runs in posting a 5-18
record.
49er Coach John Gonsalves, who
brings back 13 lettermen from a last
year's 16-41-2 club, will try to
compensate for his team's lack the power
with aggressive baseruririing.
Long Beach State will be making its
fourth appearance in the Pepsi/Me-N-Ed's
Classic. The 49ers' top finish was in
1985 when they finished second to Fresno
State,
Washington State, the defending
Pac-10 Northern Division Champion, is
coming off a 44-19 season and an appearance in the NCAA West I Regionals.
The Congars (10-2) will be seeking to
pick up career win No. 900 for 26th-year
head coach Bobo Brayton. The fourth
winningest active coach in the nation,
Brayton enters the tourney with a 898-
371-7 record.
WSU standouts include junior catcher
Randy Snyder, senior center fielder Mark
Wyckoff and sophomore infielder Greg
Hunter.
The Cougars of Washington State,
though, will have some lough competition in the Cougars of Brigham
Young (6-2).
Ranked No. 22 by ESPti/Collegiate
Baseball, BYU will be making its fifth
appearance in the Pepsi/Me-N-Ed's Clas-
Twefth-year coach Gary Pulllns, whose
team won lhe tournament in 1983 behind
first baseman Wally Joyner, has another
huge power source in his lineup this year.
Designated hitter/catcher Mike Willes,
a first-team All-American last year, led
the nation in both home runs with 31,
and RBI with 108. BYU shortstop Gary
Scrxwrwver.asecOTd-teamAll-Arnerican,
led the nation in doubles with 34.
The Cougars finished the '87 season
with a 42-22 record and placed second in
the Wester Athletic Conference.
George Washington (7-5) will be
battling for respect among the tourney
titans as Castlebeny referred to his team
as "Rodney Dangerfiekls."
A member of the Aaaantic 10 Conference, the Colonials bring back 14 letter-
men from last yew's 19-25 team. Their
lop returnee is outfielder Joe Knorr, who
hit .408 with 10 homers and 57 Ri-J last
year.
Oregon State (7-2) took the Pepsi/Me-N-Ed's title last year by notch-ing a
5-0 record before the championship round
was cancelled by rain.
The Beavers registered a 31 -15 record in
1987 and finished second to Washington
State in the Pac 10's htorthem Division.
Pleas* sw CLASSIC