FRESNO, Calif. – The Fresno State softball team lost 4-1 to the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos on Saturday in the 2023 Bulldog Classic at Margie Wright Diamond.
On a day that featured four games at Margie Wright Diamond and one weather delay, Fresno State played in the nightcap against the Gauchos in a tight contest until UCSB (11-8) produced some insurance runs in the seventh inning.
Fresno State (7-12) is now scheduled to play two more games on Saturday, starting at approximately 3:30 p.m. PT with a doubleheader against the Maine Black Bears. Utah Tech and UCSB will also meet in a doubleheader starting at 10:30 a.m. PT.
HOW IT HAPPENED
UCSB struck first with three straight singles to open the game, including a RBI single up the middle for the game's first run.
Fresno State answered in the third inning when Abby Doughty connected on a 2-out RBI single, which plated Emma Martinez from second to even the score at 1-1.
UCSB added a run in the fourth and two more in the seventh.
The Bulldogs' four hits each came from a different player – Keahilele Mattson, Alesia Denby, Abby Doughty and Taryn Irigoyen. Denby and Irigoyen also reached base via walks for two of the team's four walks drawn in the game.
In the circle, Serayah Neiss and Taylor Gilmore combined to toss 6.1 innings for the Bulldogs, who had Hannah Ortega register the final two outs. As a unit, the trio gave up just two earned runs and struck out seven batters while allowing no walks in the contest.