Courtesy of Boise State Athletics –
BOISE, Idaho – Boise State rallied past Fresno State 5-4 before suffering a 9-1 defeat to San Diego State, Thursday in the Mountain West Softball Championship.
The fifth-seeded Broncos (34-22) won an eight-inning thriller over the fourth-seeded Bulldogs (33-19) in an elimination game for their 14th come-from-behind win of the season.
Boise State scored the game’s first run in the top of the third. Hollie Farmer led off with an infield single and scored on a two-out double by Jordyn Hutchins.
Fresno State rallied for three runs in the fifth and one in the sixth against Bronco starter Taylor Caudill and led 4-1 needing three outs to end Boise State’s season.
Farmer opened the seventh with a home run to make the score 4-2. With one out, Mykenzie Hanna reached on an error. With two outs, the Bulldogs brought back Taylor Gilmore (19-5), who started the game in the circle and pitched the first 5 2/3 innings.
Alycia Flores greeted the 2024 MW Pitcher of the Year with a two-run home run to center field that tied the game 4-4.
In the eighth, Abby Bumcrot singled with one out and moved to second when Farmer was hit by a pitch. Sophia Knight, the conference’s freshman of the year then looped a single to left that drove in the game-winning run and made a winner out of Jenna Bloom (9-4), who pitched two innings of hitless relief.
The victory over the Bulldogs advanced the Broncos to the double-elimination bracket where they faced top-seeded San Diego State (29-18).
The Aztecs chased Caudill (17-13) four batters into the game and led 4-0. They added three runs against Bloom before the inning was over.
The Broncos picked up a run in the second on an RBI-single by Farmer, but the Aztecs responded with two in the third and went on to post a five-inning, mercy-rule win.
“We need to be more consistent with our energy,” head coach Justin Shults said. “We had a great win to start the day, but started too low against San Diego State.”
Top Broncos
- Alycia Flores was 3-for-7 with a double, home run and two RBI.
- Hollie Farmer was 4-for-5 with a home run and two RBI.
Notables
- Boise State won in extra innings for the first time this season (1-4).
- The Broncos posted their 14th come-from-behind victory of the year.
What’s Next
Boise State plays UNLV in an elimination game at 3 p.m., Friday. If the Broncos advance, they will play either Nevada or San Diego State at 6 p.m.
