Box Score (HTML)

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – South Carolina scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to rally past Portland State for a 2-1 victory on Friday morning at the Highlander Classic.

Portland State (7-9) struck first in the top of the second inning after Alicia Fine hit a leadoff double to right center and scored on a South Carolina throwing error following a Carly McEachran single.

The Gamecocks managed just two hits through the first five innings off of PSU's Anna Bertrand, but finally got to her in the sixth, as they strung together four-straight hits with two outs. Kaitlin Westfall started the rally with a solo homer to left field, and after back-to-back hits by Evan Childs and Dana Hathorn, Chelsea Hawkins lined a single into left field for the winning run.

Bertrand took the loss, falling to 5-4 after allowing two runs on six hits and one walk with four strikeouts.

Audrey Broyles picked up the win for the Gamecocks, moving her record to 3-1 after scattering six hits with one strikeout and one walk. Katelynn Howser worked a perfect seventh inning for her second save of the season.

Offensively for the Vikings, Becca Bliss and McEachran each had two hits.

Hathorn had two hits for South Carolina, which improved to 13-4.

NOTES: This was the first meeting between the two schools since 1978 ... PSU plays again tomorrow, taking on Maine at 9 a.m. Live stats will be available through UC Riverside's website at GoHighlanders.com.