BOISE – Boise State, the Mountain West’s leader in batting average, doubles and home runs per game stayed hot Friday afternoon with an 11-2 run-rule victory over the Aggies. The game lasted just four and a half innings.
Down 1-0 early, the Broncos broke the game open by working through counts and drawing walks, eventually loading the bases up for a two-RBI single from Mykenzie Hanna before Boise State took a 3-2 lead with a bases loaded walk from Kelsey Hall.
“That’s what’s nice about having nine solid hitters in the lineup is the pitcher gets zero time to relax,” Coach Justin Shults told Bronco Nation News. “Kenz (Mykenzie Hanna) just kept having good swings … that was huge to swing the momentum.”
Boise State held no mercy in the third, putting up eight more runs on the board starting off with a double up the middle to score two before Hanna tallied two more RBI’s on a single up the middle, making it a 7-2 Bronco lead.
Hall continued her scorching hot hitting with a two-out double to left center before Jordyn Hutchins delivered the final blow to Utah State, extending the third inning lead to 11-2 with a home run to deep right field.
Four different broncos finished with multiple RBI’s on the day.
“A lot of things went well for us,” Hutchins said. “I think we had little a bit of a slow start in the beginning but we just kept having to make quick adjustments in the box and kinda figure out what was working for us.”
Taylor Caudill both started and ended the game for Boise State in the circle, throwing five innings and giving up just one earned run on 79 total pitches for the Broncos.
Boise State (25-12, 11-2 MW) currently sits in full control of the Mountain West, holding onto first place with the next best team being San Diego State with an 11-5 record in conference play.
The Broncos will face Utah State twice more before the weekend comes to a close, clashing against the Aggies Saturday at 4 p.m. before a matinee contest at noon on Sunday to close out the series.
“I think moving forward we just need to really keep playing Bronco softball and also working on our passion a little bit,” Hutchins said. “I think we could be louder and just more energetic and just be what Bronco softball does.”
