Boise State
13-34, 5-14
San Jose State
23-24, 12-7
Broncos Drop Slugfest To Spartans
5/6/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
BOISE, Idaho - Boise State and San José State combined for nine home runs as Friday's series opener turned into a slugfest at Dona Larsen Park. However, it was the Spartans that had the last laugh as Jessie Hufstetler's three-run shot in the sixth punctuated a 17-9 win in six innings.
The Broncos and Spartans will play game two of the series Saturday at 4 p.m.
The teams collectively hit six home runs over the first two innings alone. Boise State delivered the opening salvo with Teauna Hughes' three-run blast to left-center in the first, and San José State responded with three in their five-run second. Taylor Purdy hit a solo homer with one out followed by a two-out solo shot from Alyssa Avila and a two-run shot from Brittany Abacherli that chased Bronco starter Nicole Wilson.
The Broncos (13-34, 5-14 MW) answered that with solo shots from Morgan Lamb and Makenzie Sullivan in the second to tie the game at 5-5.
After San José State (23-24, 12-7 MW) scored twice in the top half of the fourth, Boise State used the long ball to once again pull even as Sullivan hit her second homer of the day, a two-run shot to right to make it 7-7.
Sullivan and Hughes each had a pair of hits and three RBI to lead the Broncos, while Rebekah Cervantes' sixth-inning homer matched Hughes for the team lead at 10.
The Spartans would take the lead for good, however, in the fifth thanks to an RBI single from Chelsea Jenner and a two-run triple from Aylssa Martinez to make it 10-7. Boise State got a run back in its half of the fifth and loaded the bases with one out, but the rally came to a sudden close as Lamb was picked off at second by Spartan catcher Alyssa Avila followed by Tatiana Sorokina flying out.
After the Spartans loaded the bases with one out in the sixth against Bronco reliever Jenna Bassler. Jenner drove in a pair with a double to right, and four batters and two runs later against Wilson, Hufstetler delivered the big shot that put the Spartans over the eight-run mercy-rule limit.
Hufstetler finished the game 2-for-5 with four RBI while Jenner and Jessica Madrid each had three hits and three RBI for the Spartans. Martinez had two hits and drove in three runs while Abacherli had two of each.
Bassler took the loss, giving up seven runs (five earned) on five hits over two innings of work. Wilson threw two-and-a-third innings, giving up seven runs on seven hits while Shawna Burke was charged with three runs on four hits over an inning and two-thirds.
The Broncos knocked out Spartan starter Katelyn Linford after just an inning and a third, but Collette Riggs gave up just four runs over the final four and two-thirds to pick up the win and improve to 7-4.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: RIGGS, Collette (7-4)
L: Bassler, Jenna (1-10)
Batting:
2B: ABACHERLI, Brittany 1 ; MADRID, Jessica 1 ; HUFSTETLER, Jessie 1 ; JENNER, Chelsea 1
3B: MARTINEZ, Aylssa 1
HR: ABACHERLI, Brittany 1 ; HUFSTETLER, Jessie 1 ; PURDY, Taylor 1 ; AVILA, Alyssa 1
RBI: ABACHERLI, Brittany 2 ; MARTINEZ, Aylssa 3 ; MADRID, Jessica 3 ; HUFSTETLER, Jessie 4 ; PURDY, Taylor 1 ; AVILA, Alyssa 1 ; JENNER, Chelsea 3
Base Running:
RUNS: ABACHERLI, Brittany 4 ; MARTINEZ, Aylssa 1 ; MADRID, Jessica 2 ; HUFSTETLER, Jessie 1 ; WATT, Casey 1 ; PURDY, Taylor 1 ; ENTZMINGER, Emma 2 ; AVILA, Alyssa 2 ; JENNER, Chelsea 3
Batting:
2B: Clausen, Kayla 1
HR: Cervantes, Rebekah 1 ; Hughes, Teauna 1 ; Lamb, Morgan 1 ; Sullivan, Makenzie 2
RBI: Cervantes, Rebekah 1 ; Hughes, Teauna 3 ; Lamb, Morgan 2 ; Sullivan, Makenzie 3
SH: Serrano, Izzy 1 ; Clausen, Kayla 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Sorokina, Tatiana 1 ; Cervantes, Rebekah 2 ; Hughes, Teauna 1 ; Wade, Kora 1 ; Lamb, Morgan 1 ; Pearson, Shaelee 1 ; Sullivan, Makenzie 2
HBP: Sorokina, Tatiana 1
PO: Lamb, Morgan 1
