BOISE, Idaho — The University of New Mexico softball team dropped game one of its final series of the season on the road at Boise State Thursday by a final score of 10-0 in five innings after falling behind early. Freshman Sydney Broderick led the Lobos with two of UNM’s three hits on the day.
Boise State improves to 38-14, 16-6 in conference play and as the top-ranked team in the Mountain West, needs just one more victory to clinch the league title and automatic NCAA Regional bid. The Lobos drop to 14-37, 7-15 in league competition.
UNM was outhit 12-3 on the day, two of which were off the bat of Broderick as she went 2-for-2 including a single through the right side and a single up the middle. Broderick has a recent knack for hitting against tough teams having also led the Lobos with a pair of hits against #10 Arizona.
Sophomore Jensen Main takes the loss in the circle and falls to 8-19 on the season while starting Bronco pitcher Kelsey Broadus improves to 9-3 overall after heading into the contest with a 1.81 ERA.
Boise State racked up an onslaught of runs in the bottom of the first inning to jump out to an early 8-0 lead. The Broncos posted seven hits on six singles and a double in the frame for the lead.
UNM held the Broncos to just two more runs through three more innings, retiring the first three batters in the bottom of the second and in the bottom of the fourth.
In the bottom of the second, a one-out single landed a runner on base, but Broderick caught her stealing for the second out of the inning before junior Monica Salas made a great play on a groundout to third to end the inning.
TOP 2 |After Broderick catches the lone base runner stealing, Salas makes the grab at third for the final out of the frame. All three batters back to the dugout and the score remains the same. #GoLobos pic.twitter.com/MNtSwuv4lp
— UNM Softball (@UNMLoboSB) May 10, 2018
Despite failing to score a run for the first time since the series-opening 1-0 loss to Utah State on April 20, UNM had did land runners on base in the second, fourth and the fifth innings.
In the top of the second, junior D’Andra DeFlora walked with one out and was followed with the two-out single by Broderick that put runners on the corners, but a pop up to first stranded the pair on base.
TOP 2 | Broderick with the two-out single to advance DeFlora to third! #GoLobos pic.twitter.com/hrjaCUAky2
— UNM Softball (@UNMLoboSB) May 10, 2018
In the fourth, freshman Andrea Howard hit a well-placed, one-out bunt to reach base, but was out on a double play to short. In the fifth, Broderick singled with one out and junior Sydney Townes walked with two outs to put a pair of runners on, but a final strikeout ended the inning and the game.
The Lobos and the Broncos will resume the series with game two on Friday, May 11 with a scheduled 4 p.m. first pitch followed by the finale on Saturday at 12 p.m.