By Levern Johnson (@inkedjournalist) – Spear Reporter
SJSU softball (25-26, 10-9 MW) claims Thursday games of the Mountain West Tournament with wins over Fresno and Boise State.
Game 1
The Spartan’s first matchup came Thursday as they faced the Fresno State Bulldogs (23-31, 10-12 MW).
Both teams struggled to put points on the board as the game entered the seventh inning with the score 0-0. The pace began to pick up from here on.
After two quit outs, freshman infielder Jamie Hicks hit a quick single to try and get something going.
The next batter, freshman infielder Kennedy Bunker, got hit by the first pitch putting runners on first and second base.
Despite the tension, redshirt senior pitcher Jenessa Ullegue got the next batter to a line ending the inning.
Redshirt senior infielder Jessica Giacoma eventually made it to first base after being walked.
Afterward, sophomore utility player Aubrie Thomas came in to pinch run for Giacoma. Thomas would then advance to second base after a sacrifice bunt from junior utility player Ashley Rico.
The tension increased after freshman pitcher Serayah Neiss threw a wild pitch that allowed Thomas to advance to third base.
With one out and a runner on third base, junior catcher Makenzie Hutchinson hit a crucial walk-off RBI on a fielders choice to which Thomas crossed home plate before Bunker could tag her out.
1-0, Spartans over the Bulldogs.
Game 2
SJSU softball followed its Thursday morning victory with an evening victory over the Boise State Broncos (31-16, 15-4 MW) 6-4.
Hutchinson started things off with an RBI single allowing Giacoma to bring in the first Spartans run.
But the Broncos sister duo, infielder graduate student Eliyah Flores and redshirt junior outfielder Alycia Flores put two runs up in back-to-back innings.
Eliyah hit a sac fly in the third inning, while Alycia homered on the first pitch of the fourth.
Redshirt senior infielder Jessica Giacoma came back with a 2-run homer in the fifth after redshirting senior infielder Alyssa Graham hit a single to right center field.
The Spartan’s 3-2 lead was short-lived as senior outfielder Kelsey Hall hit an RBI single up the middle, tying the game 3-3.
Additionally, junior utility player Abby Bumcrot got an RBI sac fly, giving the Broncos a 4-3 lead in the sixth.
That’s when the Graham-Ullegue duo got rolling again to give SJSU softball the victory.
Graham tied the game 4-4 with an RBI single, scoring sophomore infielder Taylor Squires.
Ullegue did the rest, hitting a 2-run RBI to give SJSU softball its second victory of the day, 6-4 over Boise State.