PSU-Stanford Box Score (HTML)  |  
PSU-McNeese State Box Score (HTML)
TEMPE, Ariz. – Portland State split another pair of games on Saturday at the Kajikawa Classic, dropping a 7-0 decision to No. 9/10 Stanford, before taking down McNeese State, 4-1.
PSU (2-2) squandered a couple of scoring chances against the nationally-ranked Cardinal and wasn't able to generate much offense, but it was a different story against the Cowgirls, as they capitalized at the plate and yet again got a brilliant pitching performance from 
Anna Bertrand.
Less than 24 hours removed from throwing a five-inning no-hitter, Bertrand (2-1) limited McNeese State to just three hits and one run in a complete-game effort. She walked two, struck out six and got out of a bases loaded, no-out jamb in the seventh.
Bertrand's pitching and the Vikings' win in general was impressive considering that on Friday the Cowgirls defeated two Pac-12 schools, including knocking off top-ranked and defending national champion Arizona State, 3-1. Their other victory was over Oregon State, 3-2 in eight innings.
The Vikings pounced for three runs in their half of the second inning to open the scoring. Following a groundout, 
Karmen Holladay walked and 
Brittany Hendrickson reached on a fielding error. 
Alexa Morales then laced the first pitch she saw from Tiffany Denham off the left field fence to plate Holladay. 
Maggie Sholian made it 3-0 with a two-run single to center.
McNeese State got on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth despite not getting a hit. Alanna DiVittorio drew a leadoff walk, stole second, advanced on a groundout and then scored on a perfectly executed squeeze bunt by Marissa Koetting.
PSU added an insurance run in the sixth when Holladay doubled in 
Carly McEachran, who had singled and moved up a base on a sac bunt by 
Crysta Conn.
The Cowgirls threatened in the sixth, leaving a pair of runners on base, and then made things interesting in their last turn at-bat. They loaded the bases on a single and back-to-back fielding errors by the Vikings. But Bertrand stepped it up, inducing two-straight groundballs to Conn at third, who fired home to catcher 
Maggie Sholian for an out each time. Bertrand finished off the Cowgirls by getting DiVittorio to look at strike three.
Portland State recorded seven hits, as seven different players had one apiece.
Denham (0-1) suffered the loss, allowing three earned runs with four strikeouts and one walk over six innings.
In the morning, PSU hung tough with Stanford through the first couple of innings, before the Cardinal broke through with a three-run seventh.
Stanford scored a solo run to open the game in the top of the first and the Vikings had chances to answer over the next two frames, but came up empty each time.
After stranding a runner in the first, they loaded the bases with no outs in the second, but failed to capitalize after Stanford pitcher Teagan Gerhart registered three consecutive strikeouts.
The Cardinal (2-1) added two runs in the fourth and another in the fifth.
Gerhart worked the first five innings, upping her record to 2-1 after scattering three hits and striking out eight. Nyree White, a freshman from Eugene who is the daughter of Oregon coach Mike White, pitched the final two innings, allowing just one hit.
Maya Burns led Stanford by going 3-for-4 with three RBIs, while Jenna Becerra, Danielle Miller and Leah White each had two hits to aid Stanfords' 14 hit attack.
Bertrand pitched all seven innings, striking out four and walking two.
Offensively for PSU, Hendrickson batted 2-for-3 with a double, while Conn and 
Jordan Goschie both had singles.
The Vikings close out their trip by playing Utah tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. PT. The game can be heard on GoViks.com and live stats will also be available.
NOTES: Conn had six assists against McNeese State and four versus Stanford. She made several nice stops at third base on the day ... Holladay almost had her second home run to right center on the Northeast field of the Tempe Sports Complex in as many days. But her double in the sixth against McNeese State went off the top of the fence and came back in play ... Hendrickson batted 3-for-6 over the two games and was the only Viking with more than one hit ... Goschie's single against Stanford was her first as a Viking ... Krogh moved from center field to left in the second inning against Stanford. It was the first time she had played in left field since her freshman year in high school ... PSU is 8-10 all-time against Stanford, 2-0 against McNeese State ... the last time PSU faced McNeese State was on Feb. 6, 2009, in Tempe. They won that game, 10-0 in five innings after Tori Rogers threw a no-hitter.