Pinch-hitter Lisamaria Coronado drove home the go-ahead run in the fifth inning and freshman pitcher Morgan Melloh closed out a 3-2 victory over Cal to force a deciding championship game of the NCAA softball Fresno Regional Sunday at Bulldog Diamond.
Melloh pitched a two-hitter with only three strikeouts and walked six. The Bulldogs, however, banged out nine hits and had a runner in scoring position all six innings.
Aja Scheuber gave the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead in the first with a two-run single. Cal tied it in the top of the fifth on Gina Leomiti's bases-loaded single to right that scored two runs.
But Fresno State rallied for the winner in the bottom of the inning. Scheuber led off with a walk and moved to third on Jenna Cervantez's sacrifice bunt and Andrea Ortega's deep flyout to right. Coronado hit for Ashley White and ripped a ground up the middle that glanced off the glove of second baseman Vernae Sevilla's glove into right center.
The Bulldogs are trying to advance past the regionals for the first time in nine years.