May 6, 2016
Boise, Idaho - Behind a seven-run sixth inning, which blew the game open, the San José State softball team defeated the Boise State Broncos 17-9 in six innings on Friday afternoon in Mountain West Conference action.
For SJSU (23-24, 12-7 MW), its 17 runs are a season-high, and among its 16 hits four were home runs and a total of nine went for extra bases. Six Spartans had multi-hit days and five had multi-RBI efforts.
Tied 7-7 after four innings, Emma Entzminger (2-for-3, 2 R) led of the fifth with a single through the right side. Two batters later Chelsea Jenner (3-for-4, 3 R, 3 RBI) singled her in for the first of three RBIs she had on the day. Brittany Abacherli followed Jenner with a walk and Alyssa Martinez tripled both of them in on a shot down the right field line to make it 10-7.
Boise State (13-34, 5-14 MW) got a run back in the bottom of the inning, but would get no closer.
The Spartans sent 11 batters to the plate in the sixth, got four hits and scored seven runs. Jenner had a two-run double to get the scoring party started. Two batters later Martinez (2-for-4, R, 3 RBI) drove in another run. Jessica Madrid (3-for-5, 2 R, 3 RBI) knocked in the next run on a fielder's choice and Jessie Hufstetler (2-for-5, R, 4 RBI) finished the job with a three-run homer. It was Husftetler's ninth of the season, 28th of her career, and moved her into second place on the program's all-time home run list.
Early on it was home run derby as the Broncos hit a 3-run home run off SJSU starter Katelyn Linford for a 3-0 lead after one inning.
The Spartans came right back in the top of the second with a one-out solo shot from Taylor Purdy (1-fr-4, R, RBI, HR). Two batters later Alyssa Avila (1-for-4, 2 R, RBI, HR) destroyed the first offering from Boise State starter Nicole Wilson. It landed beyond the scoreboard in left field and drew San José State to within a run at 3-2. After a Jenner single, Abacherli (2-for-3, 4 R, 2 RBI, HR) got into the act with her team-leading 11th round tripper. As quick as that SJSU was on top 4-3 and Wilson was out of the game. She would return in the sixth and give up three more runs on Hufstetler's bomb.
A walk followed by a Madrid RBI-double plated the fifth run of the frame and it was 5-3 after one and a half. Boise State batted back and tied the game 5-5 on a pair of solo homers in the bottom of the innings and sent Linford to the showers.
Colette Riggs (7-4) came in for Linford and went the rest of the way.
In the fourth each team put two runs on the board. The Spartans got an RBI single from Madrid and an RBI double from Hufstetler to once again forge a two run lead. But as in the second, Boise State came right back in its half of the inning to tie it at 7-7 with a two-run home run off Riggs.
She tossed the final 4.2 innings gave up seven hits, four walks and four runs to earn the win.
Jenna Bassler (1-10) was the loser. She went 2.0 innings giving up five hits and seven runs.
The teams play game two of the three game series on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. (MT).
San Jose State 17, Boise State 9 (May 06, 2016 at Boise, Idaho)
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San Jose State...... 050 237 - 17 16 1 (23-24, 12-7 MW)
Boise State......... 320 211 - 9 10 1 (13-34, 5-14 MW)
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Pitchers: San Jose State - Linford, Katelyn; RIGGS, Collette(2) and Avila, Alyssa.
Boise State - WILSON, N.; BURKE, S.(3); BASSLER, J.(5) and LAMB, M..
Win-RIGGS, Collette(7-4) Loss-BASSLER, J.(1-10) T-2:29 A-96
HR SJ - Abacherli, Brittany (11); Hufstetler, Jessie (9); Purdy, Taylor (5); Avila, Alyssa (2).
HR BSU - CERVANTES, R (10); HUGHES, T. (10); LAMB, M. (5); SULLIVAN, M. 2 (7).
Weather: 67 degrees, overcast