SAN DIEGO -- San Diego State edged Boise State, 3-2, to capture the weekend series Saturday afternoon at SDSU Softball Stadium. The Aztecs improved to 29-12 overall and 13-2 in Mountain West play.
SDSU has won all five MW series this season and sits atop the league standings heading into an idle weekend, 2 1/2 games ahead of Utah State (9-3). San Diego State, which plays host to the Aggies from May 6-8, has already won series against the next three teams in the league standings in UNLV (8-4), Boise State (7-5) and Colorado State (5-7).
The Aztecs used one good inning and four pitchers to pick up the win over the Broncos (28-10, 7-5 MW) today.
After leaving the bases loaded in the bottom of the third, SDSU scored three times in the fourth. San Diego State loaded the bases for slugger Mac Barbara. Barbara ripped a ball off the glove of BS's diving shortstop Eliyah Flores, which allowed AJ Murphy and Makena Brocki to score. Sara Johnson replaced starter Hannah Bailey in the circle for Boise State before Jessica Cordola delivered a pinch-hit single up the middle to plate Macey Keester with the third run of the inning.
The Broncos got a run back in the top of the fifth when an Autumn Bennett single knocked in Alycia Flores.
BS scored again in the sixth, taking advantage of a key two-base throwing error by the Aztecs and a passed ball following a strikeout. Maggie Balint, who started with two balls against Abby Bumcrot with the bases loaded because of warming up to a new catcher in the middle of the inning, walked her with one out to make it a 3-2 game. Balint, however, got Alycia Flores to pop into an infield fly to SDSU second baseman Jillian Celis and Alison Seng to fly out to Keester in center field to hold Boise State to just one run. Both of the runs in the inning were unearned.
Balint then worked around a one-out single by Kelsey Hall in the seventh by striking out Eliyah Flores swinging before inducing a groundout by Kelsey Lalor to Celis to end the game.
Dani Martinez started the game in the circle for San Diego State and pitched two perfect innings with one strikeout. Allie Light gave up one hit in two innings of relief, striking out three. Light (4-2) ended up picking up the win. Dee Dee Hernandez came into the game in the fifth and allowed two unearned runs over 1 1/3 innings, yielding three hits. Balint, meanwhile, recorded her fifth save of the save of the season, tossing 1 2/3 scoreless innings with one hit and one walk allowed, while striking out two.
Barbara and Keester each singled and walked for the Aztecs.
THE NOTE
SDSU (29-12) already has one more win than last year when it finished 28-16 with still at least 10 games to play. San Diego State (13-2) has also already equaled its conference win total from last year when it finished 13-11 in league play.
THE NOTE II
RHP Maggie Balint picked up her fifth save of the season, which is one off a school record held by three players - Samantha Beasley (2009), Celena Velasquez (2005) and Bre DeSanta (2002).
STAT OF THE DAY
The Aztecs have won five consecutive MW series for the first time since winning five straight in 2014-15 (last three series of 2014, first two of 2015). This is the first time that SDSU has won five consecutive MW series in the same season since the league went to the three-game format in 2012.
UP NEXT
San Diego State plays its final non-conference game of the season on Wednesday at UC San Diego. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. PT.
San Diego State 3, Boise State 2
Boise State (28-10, 7-5 MW) 000 011 0 -- 2 5 0
San Diego State (29-12, 13-2 MW) 000 300 x -- 3 4 1
Bailey, Johnson (4) and Bumcrot; Martinez, Light (3), Hernandez (5), Balint (6) and Barbara, Romanello (7)
W - Light, 4-2; L - Bailey, 10-3; SV - Balint, 5
Aztecs Beat Boise State, 3-2, to Capture Series
