The Fresno State softball team dropped two of three to the Boise State Broncos, but not without an offensive explosion.
The second game of the 3-game stretch was a 24-4 beating by the Bulldogs that ended mercifully in the fifth inning.
In that contest, the Bulldogs set a school record for runs in an inning with 13 in the first. Boise State’s Mackenzie McGill pitched three innings and allowed 19 runs.
Every player in the Fresno State starting lineup had a base hit. Four Bulldogs homered, and seven had extra-base hits.
Fresno State center fielder Brenna Moss began the game with a leadoff single, then stole second base. When Brooke Ortiz stepped up to the plate to lay down a sacrifice bunt, Boise State’s Makenna Weir threw the ball to the first-base dugout. Moss and Ortiz scored on the error.
Third baseman Vonnie Martin slugged her second-career grand slam in the first inning for her fourth home run of the season.
“We talked about playing the sport the way we know we can,” Martin said. “We all love the game and went out today and played for each other. I tried to clear my mind and swing at the pitches that I could hit and not at bad ones, and it worked out in my favor.”
After Martin’s slam, Michelle Solomon reached on a throwing error. Stesha Brazil then stepped up to the plate and crushed a 2-run home run to left field, her team-high sixth of the year.
The remaining five runs of the inning were off singles by Moss, Kapri Angotti and Paige Gumz, a bases-loaded walk to Megan Megee and a Whitney Smith fielder’s choice play to short.
The Bulldogs added seven more runs in the second stanza through an Ortiz 2-RBI double to left-center field. Solomon followed suit with a 2-run double of her own, and then Brazil plated Martin with a sacrifice fly. Afterward, Gumz slugged her first home run of the season, bringing home Martin in the process.
“It was good to see us rebound from [Friday],” said Fresno State head coach Trisha Ford. “Offensively we came ready to go. We had great at-bats up and down the lineup and took advantage of a lot of hitters’ counts.”
The Broncos get even
On Sunday, the Broncos brought the offense and won the finale of the 3-game set 8-1.
Boise State’s Ashley Palmer smacked a 2-run home run to center field, scoring Tara Glover in the bottom of the first inning. Glover would knock in two runs of her own in the second inning with a double to right-center field.
The Bulldogs’ lone run came in the third inning on an error by Boise State second baseman Jordan Krieger that scored Angotti.
The Broncos added four runs in the second stanza and two runs in the third to hold on for the victory.
Fresno State pitcher Jill Compton (10-6) tossed 1 1/3 innings, allowed five earned runs and five hits. Kiley Shae Aldridge pitched one frame, and Hannah Harris threw 3 2/3 in relief.
Game 1 goes to Boise State
Boise State shortstop Mackenzie Whyte sprinted home on a squeeze bunt by Weir for the game-winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Broncos a 3-2 victory on Friday.
Both starting pitchers — Boise State’s Rebecca Patton and Fresno State’s Compton — threw complete games in the extra-inning affair.
Solomon scored the first run of the game on a single by Brazil. She homered in the fourth inning to left field to score the second run for the Bulldogs.
The Broncos scored in the fourth and fifth innings to tie the contest.