SJSU softball charge into Fresno to battle the Bulldogs

SJSU softball
By Lamar Moody (@Ljmoo2allpurpus)  – Spear Reporter
Redshirt senior Jenessa Ullegue preparing to pitch | Tyler Castillo – The Spear

SJSU softball team (17-21, 5-7 MW) goes on the road Wednesday to face off against its bitter rival, the Fresno State Bulldogs (16-21, 5-4 MW), for a critical double header. 

The Spartans come off a huge Mountain West win vs. the Colorado State Rams winning that game 6-2.  Redshirt senior pitcher Jenessa Ullegue pitched a complete game while redshirt senior third baseman Alyssa Graham hit a grand slam in the fifth inning to put the game in their favor. 

Going into game one, the starting pitcher for SJSU will most likely be sophomore Lacie Ham. Ham has a 5-10 record on the season with an ERA of 5.48. The game two starting pitcher for the Spartans will likely be Ullegue, who has a record of 9-6 with an ERA of 4.78.

For SJSU, redshirt senior third baseman Alyssa Graham looks to continue her dominance at the plate. Graham has a .362 batting average and leads the Spartans with eight home runs and 28 RBIs. Graham helped the Spartans get their previous win by crushing a grand slam in the bottom of the fifth inning vs. Colorado State. 

Freshman catcher Reina Zermeno has been on fire as of late. Zermeno leap frogged Graham in batting averages, leading the Spartans with an average of .365. Zermeno had three home runs in March and looks to continue her power surge here in April to help put the Spartans on top in the Mountain West Conference. 

Fresno State has senior pitcher Taylor Gilmore starting for game one of Wednesday’s double header. Gilmore has a record of 8-5 with a 3.02 ERA.

Offensively, FSU is led by former Mountain West player of the year, junior left fielder Keahilele Mattson. She leads the Bulldogs with six home runs, 23 RBIs, and a savage batting average of .370. 

Catch a full day of SJSU softball on Wednesday with game one starting at 3:30 p.m. and game two shortly after at 6 p.m.

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