March 23, 2018
Boise, Idaho - Madison Aurin, the reigning USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Week, proved again why she's a dual threat pitching a complete game and blasting a home run in San José State softball's 2-0 victory over the Boise State Broncos in the opening game of a three-game Mountain West series.
Aurin held the Broncos, who entered the game with a league-high .350 batting average, to four hits and a .160 average (4-for-25). She set down the first two batters in each of the seven innings she pitched and allowed just three the Bronco base runners to get into scoring position.
No base runner reached third against Aurin and the only real danger she ran into came in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs, the Broncos got a single from Madison Anthony who moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Kora Wade then walked to set Boise State up with runners on first and second.
Rebekah Cervantes, had two of her team's four hits, leads BSU with a 30 RBIs and is hitting .422, got ahead in the count 2-0. Aurin (8-7) battled back with a pair of strikes and a foul ball, but ran the count full. Shethen threw a ball well off the plate, which Cervantes grounded to Cassidy Clark at second. Clark threw on to first to end the threat and the inning.
Aurin set down the final six batters to secure her sixth complete game, third shutout, and seventh win in her last eight decisions.
With the bats, the Spartans (20-9, 4-0 MW) managed just five hits, but were able to put two runs on the board.
In the first, SJSU got a pair of walks off Boise State (18-9, 3-1 MW) starter Kelsey Broadus (6-4), but couldn't take advantage of the free passes. Then in the third the Spartans pushed a run across.
Alyssa Avila led off and was hit by a pitch. Emma Entzminger (1-for-3, R) followed her with a fielder's choice, which erased Avila. Kaelin Amrein then hit a pop up to right. The right fielder had a bead on the ball, but was run into by the second baseman who was coming to try to make the catch. The ball dropped and Entzminger ended up on third and Amrein on second.
Clark (1-for-3, RBI) followed Amrein and, on a 1-1 count, stroked an RBI single to left center, which scored Entzminger and gave the Spartans a lead they would never relinquish.
In the top of the fourth, Aurin (1-for-3, R, RBI, HR) helped her own cause with a one-out solo homer to straight away center. It was her team-leading eighth round tripper of the year and her 37th RBI of the season, also a team-high. Freshman Rayohna Sagapolu led SJSU with two hits on the day.
Broadus was the tough luck loser. She pitched a complete game, giving up five hits, and two runs while striking out six.
With snow in the forecast for Sunday, the teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Game two will begin approximately 30 minutes after the completion of the first game.
San Jose State 2, Boise State 0 (Mar 23, 2018 at Boise, Idaho)
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San Jose State...... 001 100 0 - 2 5 0 (20-9, 4-0 MW)
Boise State......... 000 000 0 - 0 4 2 (18-9, 3-1 MW)
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Pitchers: San Jose State - Aurin, Madison and Avila, Alyssa. Boise State - BROADUS, K. and
PEARSON, S..
Win-AURIN, Madison(8-7) Loss-BROADUS, K.(6-4) T-1:46 A-115
HR SJ - Aurin, Madison (8).
Weather: 51 degrees, cloudy
Game: SJ-BSU1