June 3, 2007
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Junior Brian Lapin had a homerun and two RBI, junior Ryan Overland knocked in three runs and freshman Dan Grubb added two RBIs as Fresno State tallied six first-inning runs and survived the loss of sophomore starting pitcher Tanner Scheppers to a scary injury in the fourth inning of an 11-6 victory over Minnesota in front of 1085 at Tony Gwynn Stadium in San Diego, Calif.
With the win, Fresno State will face Cal State Fullerton in an elimination game tonight, while Minnesota will finish its season with a 41-18 mark.
With Fresno State (38-28) comfortably in control with a 10-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning, Minnesota senior Kyle Baran hit a line drive off the side of the head of Scheppers, who went down in a heap on the mound and was down for several minutes as medical personnel attended to the sophomore right hander.
Scheppers was taken to Scripps Mercy Hospital for evaluation and was conscious and responsive prior to departing Tony Gwynn stadium. His final line read three innings pitched, allowing one run (Baran) on five hits with one walk and four strike outs. Holden Sprague (1-0) came on in relief of the injured starter and went the final six innings allowing five runs on nine hits while fanning four to pick up his first win of the season.
The Bulldogs never trailed in the contest scoring six runs in the top half of the first inning. Sophomore Erick Wetzel started the game off with a four-pitch walk and stole second. Senior Loren Storey laid down a bunt that Minnesota third baseman Nate Hanson fielded cleanly and threw high to first for an infield single, with the error on the throw allowing Wetzel to score.
Sorey then also stole second and Lapin followed with an opposite field homerun to right and a quick 3-0 lead. After a ground out, junior Ozzie Lewis was then drilled in the back and freshman Tommy Mendonca pulled a double down the right field line putting runners at second and third, marking the end of the afternoon for senior Gopher starter Gary Perinar (4-6). Perinar recorded just one out, allowing five runs on three hits, with a walk and a hit batter.
Freshman Alan Ahmady greeted junior relief pitcher Ethan Vogt with a double to left scoring Lewis. Grubb followed with a two-run single to cap the six-run first inning outburst.
Fresno State added to the lead in the fourth with Wetzel lining a triple to right centerfield and scoring on Storey's base knock to right and a seven-run advantage. After Lapin forced Storey at second, junior Steve Susdorf followed with a base hit to right, putting runners at first and third. Lewis followed with a sacrifice fly further extending the lead to eight runs.
Mendonca was then hit by a pitch and Ahmady drew a walk to load the bases. Overland then popped a fly to left field that Baran misjudged, first stepping back on the play before breaking forward and making a sliding attempt, having the ball glance off his glove, plating two more runs for a 10-0 lead.
Minnesota mounted a comeback in the fourth inning scoring four runs, three of which were charged to Sprague and one to the injured Scheppers. After Baran's devastating single, sophomore Derek McCallum doubled to right field and junior Bryan Jost's shot to right then cleared the Aztec Baseball Wall of Fame to put Minnesota on the board, 10-3.
Senior Sean Kommerstad then blooped a single just over Wetzel's head at second base in shallow right field, stole second, and after a strike out and hit by pitch, scored when Lyons singled up the middle.
Fresno State got one of the runs back in the top of the next frame, as Mendonca doubled to left center with one out and Grubb followed with a single to center field, to extend the lead to 11-4.
Minnesota loaded the bases in the seventh and a single by McCallum and a sacrifice fly by Jost brought the Golden Gophers within five at 11-6 but they would get no closer. McCallum paced the Minnesota offense going 4-for-4 with a run and an RBI, while Jost went 1-for-2 with a home run and four runs batted in.
