Lady Broncos Win 7-5, Lose 7-5

Boise State won this one through persistence. Coach Erin Thorpe's team produced two runs in the top half of the seventh inning and pitcher Allie Crump shut down Cal Poly 1-2-3 to give the Broncos a 7-5 victory at the Desert Softball Classic in Las Vegas this morning.

After taking a 5-4 lead in the fourth, the Broncos surrendered the tying run to Cal Poly. Pitcher Allie Crump worked herself out of a jam in the bottom of the sixth to send the game to extra innings. After Stephanie Cochiolo of Cal Poly hit a leadoff double, Crumpt got Whitley Gerhart to pop to shortstop Mackenzie White, then Kellie Caplan threw out Camille Brown on a grounder and with Cochiolo on hird, Crump got Kim Westlund to fly out to Holly Bourke in right.

In the top of the seventh, dependable Caplan singled to left. Tazz Weatherly came up and doubled to right, scoring Caplan, and Tazz advanced to third on the throw. Crump popped up, but it was deep enough to score Weatherly with the second run of the inning.

Boise State opened up with two runs in the first, when Kellie Caplan singled and Crump sent a two-run shot into the seats. Cal Poly took a 4-2 lead into the fourth inning. Vanessa Alvarez started a Bronco rally with a one-out single. Whyte came in to run for her. Kelly Sweeney followed with a single and both runners advanced on a wild pitch. After a Christina Capobianca strikeout, Devon Bridges was hit by pitch to load the bases. Bourke came through with a clutch two-out single to score Whyte and Caplan's single drove in two including the go-ahead run. Even though the Mustangs tied the game in the bottom half, the Broncos were able to pull out the win.

Crump went the route for the complete game victory and was a hitting star with three RBI's, including the two-run homer and the insurance RBI in the seventh. Caplan went 3-4 with two runs scored and Weatherly was 2-4 this morning. The Broncos go after Long Beach this afternoon.

This helps team spirit after a 1-5 start, including two losses to nationally-ranked teams yesterday.

Boise State then lost to Long Beach State yesterday afternoon for the third time this season, and this one hurt.  The Broncos shot out to a 5-2 lead, only to see it evaporate.  The final blow came in the eighth inning on a two-run homer.  Freshman Devon Bridges blooped a two-run single just over the first baseman to punctuate Boise State's five-run fourth inning.  But it wasn't enough as LBSU came back for the dramatic win.

Boise State faces Oregon Sunday morning at 10.