BOISE, Idaho – After being shut out on Thursday night, the San Diego State softball team came out swinging early on Friday night at Boise State, taking an 8-0 lead after scoring seven times in the third inning including home runs by Jazmin Williams and Quinn Waiki. After Boise State went on a 7-0 scoring run to pull within one after five innings, Waiki homered for the second time of the night to put the Aztecs up 10-7. The Broncos got one run back on a solo homer in the bottom of the seventh inning, but Cece Cellura got a double play to end the game with a 10-8 win for SDSU.
San Diego State’s (28-15, 12-6) Bella Espinoza led off the game with a single on a comebacker to Boise State (29-16, 11-7) pitcher Julianne Rose. She stole second and came around to score when Cali Decker singled through the left side to put the Aztecs up 1-0. Sophia Knight led off with a single in the bottom of the inning, but Cellura induced a double play to erase the runner.
Cellura retired the side in order in the second and faced the minimum through two innings.
Angie Yellen led off with a single in the third inning. Espinoza singled on a roller back to the catcher before both runners moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Julie Holcomb singled back up the middle, driving in both Yellen and Espinoza to make it 3-0. A throwing error by Rose allowed Decker to reach base, setting up Williams. The reigning Mountain West Player of the Week came through with a three-run opposite-field homer to right to double the Aztecs’ lead to 6-0. It chased Rose from the game and Abby Dowell entered the circle for the Broncos. Jade Ignacio worked a walk but was erased on a double play. Grace Uribe put a runner back on base with a double down the left field line. Waiki drove her in with a two-run home run to center field. Yellen capped off the inning with her second hit of the frame but was thrown out trying to stretch the single into a double. Dee Dee Hernandez took over for Cellura for the Aztecs. Hollie Farmer led off with a single for the Broncos, moving up to second on an error before getting to third on a groundout. Chloe Hughes was hit by a pitch before Knight hit an infield single, scoring Farmer from third. Mykenzie Hanna doubled into the gap in left center field, bringing in Hughes while Knight moved up to third base. She would score on a groundout. Sydney Groves finished the scoring in the inning with an RBI single to left to bring Hanna home before Hernandez struck Leah McAnally out looking to finally end the inning.
Hernandez needed just ten pitches to work a scoreless inning in the fourth.
Cellura came back in to pitch the fifth inning. After a leadoff single by Knight, Cellura got Hanna to line out. Makenzie Butt and Groves hit back-to-back home runs to cut the lead to 8-7 but Cellura responded by getting McAnally to ground out and Farmer to strike out looking to end the frame with the Aztecs still up.
In the top of the sixth, Uribe led off with a walk and was run for by Ally Dueker. The next hitter, Waiki, hit her second home run of the night out to left field, extending the Aztecs’ lead to three runs. Cellura hit Quinn Southerland to begin the bottom of the inning but started a double play on a comebacker to empty the bases and face the minimum in the inning.
Cellura got a quick first out of the seventh on a popup off the bat of Hanna. Butt homered down the left field line to cut Boise State’s deficit to two. After Groves walked to bring the tying run to the dish in the form of McAnally, who hit the walk-off home run on Thursday, Cellura induced a game-ending 5-4-3 double play as the Aztecs emerged with a 10-8 victory.
THE NOTE
Jazmin Williams tallied at least two total bases for the seventh time in her last eight games.
THE NOTE II
San Diego State launched multiple home runs in an inning against a Mountain West opponent for the first time since Mac Barbara, Cali Decker and AJ Murphy each homered in the first inning at Dona Larsen Park on May 9, 2024, in a 9-1 (5 innings) win over the Broncos in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West Championship.
THE NOTE III
Quinn Waiki became the first Aztec this season with multiple home runs in the same game. The last Aztec to accomplish the feat was Barbara in the aforementioned Mountain West Tournament game against Boise State on May 9 last season.
UP NEXT
SDSU and Boise State will conclude this series with the rubber match at noon MT/11 a.m. PT on Saturday. The game will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network.
San Diego State 10, Boise State 8
San Diego State (28-15, 12-6) 107 002 0 – 10 11 1
Boise State (29-16, 8-7) 004 030 1 – 8 9 2
W – Cellura, 12-6; L – Rose, 2-2
HR: Williams, SDSU (4); Waiki, SDSU (3 & 4); Butt, BSU (19 & 20); Groves, BSU (10)