Softball Falls to Fresno State, 4-1

(boxscore)

2/24/07 -- Senior Randi Gillespie (San Jose, Calif.) continued her hot hitting, going 2-for-2 with a double, but it was not enough as the Long Island University softball team dropped its third straight game at the Palm Springs Invitational, 4-1, to Fresno State on Saturday evening.

Gillespie extended her hitting streak to seven games with her performance and is now batting .609 on the season.

The Bulldogs got on the board with four quick runs in the first inning. A two-run double by starting pitcher Merryann Barr and a two-run triple by Lisamarie Coronado accounted for all of the Fresno scoring.

Long Island would scratch out a run in the bottom of the second inning as a single to left field by junior Brittany Murphy (Los Alamitos, Calif.) led to freshman Chelsea Martinson (Agoura Hills, Calif.) crossing the plate on an error by the left fielder.

Freshman hurler Blaire Porter (Redmond, Wash.) settled down after the opening frame, allowing only one hit through the next six innings while striking out a career-best nine.

The sixth inning was the Blackbirds’ best opportunity to break through as junior Celina Castillo (Bay Area, Calif.) was hit by a pitch and advanced to third on Gillespie’s second hit of the day. Fresno’s top pitcher, Robin Macklin, came on in relief to strike out the next batter and end LIU’s rally attempt.

Macklin closed with six strikeouts in two and two-thirds innings to pick up her second save this season. Barr got the victory, allowing an unearned run over the first four and two-thirds innings.

LIU will finish play with a pair of games on Sunday, Feb. 25. Cal State Fullerton will be the Blackbirds first opponent at 11:00 a.m. PST and the contest will be followed by a matchup with No. 2 Arizona State at 1:00 p.m.