Mountain West SDSU
San Diego State’s softball team celebrates their second straight MW Tournament title Saturday. Photo credit: goaztecs.com

San Diego State, with a 6-3 win Saturday, captured their second consecutive Mountain West tournament softball championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Despite facing fifth-seed Boise State on the Broncos’ home turf, the Aztecs, the top seed and regular-season champion, had the momentum, with wins in its first two games of the tourney.

SDSU will watch the tournament Selection Show at 4 p.m. Sunday on ESPN2 to find out their Regional destination and opponent. Regional action begins Thursday.

SDSU scored twice in the third to take a 2-0 lead. After the Broncos evened the game with two runs of their own in the fifth inning, the Aztecs struck back, scoring a pair of runs each in the fifth and sixth innings for a 6-2 lead.

The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the third. Bella Espinoza led off the inning with a single. Mac Barbara singled to right-center to drive her in and advanced to second on the throw as the Aztecs took a 1-0 lead. 

Elianna Reyes ran for Barbara. After a strikeout, Katie Goldberg doubled down the left field line, scoring Reyes from second.
 
Boise State got on the board in the fifth as the Aztecs had trouble handling the ball. After a leadoff double, pinch-hitter Leah McAnally singled to center with the runner scoring from second on a throwing error; McAnally reached third on a second throwing error.

Allie Light stepped in for DeeDee Hernandez and the next hitter, Sophia Knight, lofted a sacrifice fly to center to tie the game at two.

But the Aztecs reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the inning. With one out and one on, Alyssa Garcia smacked a two-run homer to center to put her team back on top, 4-2.
 
San Diego State added to their lead in the sixth, thanks to three singles and a Boise State error.

Light went back out for the seventh and immediately took a hit as Mykenzie Hanna led off the inning with a solo homer to left. The Broncos would threaten again, and with two outs had the tying run at the plate in the form of Jordyn Hutchins. But Light won the battle, striking her out to give the Aztecs the tournament title.
 
The Aztecs led the conference with four players named to the All-Tournament Team. Barbara earned the MVP award after breaking the conference tournament record with three home runs, while batting .625 with six RBIs and four runs scored. 

Goldberg hit .571 with an RBI and a run scored in addition to stellar defensive play. Garcia hit .429 with four RBIs, two runs scored and her clutch two-run home run in the title game. Club ace Light also earned a spot on the team, going 2-0 with a 0.91 ERA in 7 2/3 innings, allowing just one run on four hits while striking out six.
 
San Diego State’s second MW tournament championship puts the Aztecs ahead of Colorado State for the most tournament titles among active teams. The Aztecs also lead the conference with nine regular season crowns.