Boise State
12-32, 4-12
New Mexico
21-20, 6-9
Late Lobo Comeback Beats Broncos
4/29/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
BOISE, Idaho -- New Mexico's Chelsea Johnson hit three home runs, the last of those a three-run shot in the seventh inning that broke a 3-3 tie and sent Boise State to a 6-3 loss in Friday's series opener at Dona Larsen Park.
Johnson finished the game 3-for-4 with five RBI, with her first two homers of the contest being solo shots before the game-winner in the seventh.
Boise State (12-32, 4-12 MW) and New Mexico (21-20, 6-9 MW) return to Dona Larsen Park for the series' second game Saturday at 4 p.m.
The Broncos took a 3-1 lead on Kayla Clausen's two-run homer to left in the bottom of the fifth, but starter Nicole Wilson, who had cruised through the first five innings, ran into trouble in the sixth as New Mexico tied it up with solo homers from Johnson and Jade Gray.
Wilson got the first two outs in the seventh before Mariah Rimmer tripled to right. Jasmine Casados drew a walk to put runners at the corners, and Johnson sent a 2-1 offering from Wilson opposite field to right-center for the big blow.
Boise State didn't go easily in the seventh. The Broncos got a one-out single from Tatiana Sorokina and a walk from Izzy Serrano, and two batters later Teauna Hughes was hit by a pitch to load the bases with two out for Morgan Lamb. But New Mexico closer Krissy Fortner, who came on for starter Tess McPherson after Serrano's walk, got Lamb to fly out to center to end the game.
Fortner picked up her fifth save of the season by getting the final two outs of the seventh, preserving McPherson's fourth win of the year. McPherson gave up three runs on six hits with three strikeouts over six and a third innings to improve to 4-1.
For the Broncos, Wilson fell to 6-9, giving up nine runs on six hits with a strikeout.
Clausen's two-run homer in the fifth was the big hit for the Broncos in the game, while Sorokina went 2-for-4 and Shaelee Pearson went 1-for-1 with an RBI and two walks.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: McPHERSON, Tess (4-1)
L: Wilson, Nicole (6-9)
S: FORTNER, Krissy (5)
Batting:
3B: RIMMER, Mariah 1
HR: JOHNSON, Chelsea 3 ; GRAY, Jade 1
RBI: JOHNSON, Chelsea 5 ; GRAY, Jade 1
Base Running:
RUNS: RIMMER, Mariah 1 ; CASADOS, Jasmine 1 ; JOHNSON, Chelsea 3 ; GRAY, Jade 1
Batting:
HR: Clausen, Kayla 1
RBI: Pearson, Shaelee 1 ; Clausen, Kayla 2
SH: Edwards, Cassidy 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hughes, Teauna 1 ; Pearson, Shaelee 1 ; Clausen, Kayla 1
SB: Pearson, Shaelee 1
HBP: Hughes, Teauna 2
