Broncos Explode for Nine in Fourth Inning to Blow Out Aggies

Saturday, April 30

Logan, Utah

Noon

Boise State

33-10, 12-5

Utah State

25-23, 10-7

Boise State

Utah State

Photo by: Boise State University

Broncos Explode for Nine in Fourth Inning to Blow Out Aggies

4/30/2022 3:43:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

Boise State clinched the series win with a mercy-rule 10-2 victory at Utah State.

By: Courtesy: Boise State Athletics

LOGAN, Utah - Kelsey Hall and Alycia Flores hit back-to-back homers in the nine-run fourth inning to power Boise State to a 10-2 mercy-rule victory at Utah State on Saturday. It is the 10th mercy-rule win of the year and the fifth in Mountain West play as the Broncos clinched the series win and improved to 33-10 overall and 12-5 in the league.

For the second straight day, the Broncos' offense came alive in the fourth inning to take control of the game. With the score tied at 1-1, Boise State exploded for nine runs — seven with two out — on nine hits, including two home runs, to take a 10-1 lead. This season, it is the second time that the Blue and Orange scored nine runs in a single inning; the last was Feb. 26 against Providence, in the fourth. The school record for runs in an inning is 13 on March 18, 2018, at Utah State — in the fifth — in a 15-7 win.

Eight Broncos combined four 12 hits on the day, while eight scored runs. Boise State had five extra-base hits, three doubles and two homers, while batters recorded one strikeout on 24 at-bats. Abby Bumcrot, Alycia Flores, Alison Seng and Autumn Bennett recorded two hits apiece to lead the team.

Taylor Caudill earned the win in the circle, her 12th of the season. She pitched 3.2 innings facing 18 batters, and gave up one run on three hits with five strikeouts and four walks. Sara Johnson came in with two out in the fourth to close out the game. She pitched 1.1 innings and faced six batters, surrendering one run, no hits with two strikeouts and two walks.

Boise State opened the scoring in the top of the first when Bumcrot — who reached on a double to right-center — came home on an Alycia Flores single to left field.

The Broncos held the Aggies scoreless until the third inning, when Gabriella Jimenez sent a lead-off homer to left field to tie the score up at 1-1.

That set up Boise State's big fourth inning to take the momentum back. Alycia Flores reached on an error with one out, followed by Seng, who hit a double to right-center. They both came home on a Serena Huchingson single to right-center.

Bennett reached on a bunt up 3-1, with two out and no one on base. Jalen Ervin then sent a single to right field, putting runners on first and second. Bumcrot followed with a single to the right that brought Bennett home to make it Boise State 4-1.

Up three, the Broncos loaded the bases with two out when Eliyah Flores was hit by a pitch while pinch-hitting. Kelsey Lalor brought Ervin and Bumcrot home when she singled to right-center, Broncos 6-1.

Then with Eliyah Flores on third and Lalor on second, Hall hit her 3 RBI homer over the right-center fence. It was her 10th homer of the year, and the Broncos led 9-1.

The final score of the game for Boise State came with the next Bronco at-bat, a solo shot over the left-center fence by Alycia Flores — her fifth homer of the year — to make it back-to-back homers and put the Blue and Orange up 10-1.

Utah State scored one in the bottom of the fifth to make the final score 10-2, Boise State in five innings.

The final game of the series will start at 11 a.m. (Mountain) on Sunday in Logan, Utah. The game start time had been moved from noon to 11 a.m. because of weather concerns Sunday afternoon in Logan.