BOISE, Idaho – Four home runs, including three from sophomore Chelsea Johnson, paced the University of New Mexico softball team Friday afternoon to a 6-3 win over Boise State. The Lobos are now 21-20 on the season and 6-9 in the Mountain West. Boise State drops to 12-32 overall and 4-12 in MW play.
Johnson was the clutch hitter of the night as she went 3-for-4 at the plate with three home runs that helped the Lobos to victory. Those three home runs tie a Mountain West record of most home runs hit in a single game. She finished with five RBI and three runs scored. Her first homer of the day, a solo shot to right field, came in the second inning which gave the Lobos a 1-0 lead.
“Chelsea was lights out,” said head coach Erica Beach. “She is so dialed in right now and I have not seen a hitter see the ball the way she is seeing the ball right now.”
Boise State matched that with an RBI single off Lobo starter Tess McPherson to tie the game up at 1-1 after two innings of play.
McPherson held off the Broncos the next two innings until the fifth when the Broncos put up two more runs, a home run over left field, taking a 3-1 lead over the Lobos.
The Lobos retaliated with two of their own in the sixth, both coming off home runs. Johnson hit her second of the day, another solo shot, this time going over the left field wall. An out later, freshman Jade Gray smashed one over right field to tie the game up at 3-3.
McPherson and the Lobos defense held their own on the field and did not allow another run to come across the rest of the game which allowed the Lobos to take advantage of more offensive opportunities.
In the seventh, senior Mariah Rimmer sparked the offense with a two-out triple to right. Junior Jasmine Casados followed with a walk and Johnson followed with the game-winning home run, her third on the game, a three-run shot over right center. The three-run jack gave the Lobos a 6-3 lead going into the bottom of the seventh.
McPherson forced the leadoff hitter to fly out but gave up a single and a walk in the next two batters. Beach went to sophomore Krissy Fortner in the circle. She was able to get a ground out for the second out but loaded the bases on a hit-by-pitch. Fortner buckled down and forced the final batter of the game to fly out to Rimmer in center, earning her fifth save of the season and tying her single-season record for saves.
Besides Johnson, Rimmer went 2-for-4 at the plate with a run scored while four other Lobos pounded out hits for a total of nine hits to Boise State’s six.
In the circle, McPherson tallied her fourth win on the season to improve to 4-1. She allowed three runs off six hits while striking out three and walking four in 6.1 innings of work. Fortner did not allow a run or hit in her two-thirds of an inning.
“We got a huge outing from Tess,” said Beach. “We have needed a pitcher to go six or seven innings. And Krissy coming in and closing the door. Obviously that has been a problem the last couple weeks is finishing those games. It was really great growth for us to close the door in that last inning.”
New Mexico will face the Broncos tomorrow for game two of the three-game series at 4 p.m. A live stream and live stats are available on GoLobos.com.