Complete Release in PDF Format

THIS WEEK: The Portland State softball team (16-15 overall, 6-2 Pacific Coast Softball Conference) heads to the state of Colorado for a four-game conference series at Northern Colorado (12-22, 2-6) with doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday. Both double headers are slated for 11 a.m. PDT starts. The Vikings will then take on Colorado State for one game on Monday at 12 p.m. before making their way back home.

GAMES NO. 32-35
at Northern Colorado (17-22, 2-6 PCSC)
Saturday, April 14 • 11 a.m. • Doubleheader
Sunday, April 15 • 11 a.m. • Doubleheader
Greeley, Colo.
Butler-Hancock Field
 
COVERAGE
Audio: None
Live Stats: UNCBears.com
 
SERIES INFO
Overall: PSU leads 9-2
At UNC: PSU leads 3-1
Streak: PSU 3

GAME NO. 36
at Colorado State (18-18)
Monday, April 14 • 1:30 p.m.
Fort Collins, Colo.
Ram Field
 
COVERAGE
Audio: None
Live Stats: CSURams.com
 
SERIES INFO
Overall: PSU leads 2-2
At CSU: PSU leads 1-0
Streak: PSU 1
 
HOW TO FOLLOW THE VIKS THIS WEEK: Friday and Saturday's doubleheaders against Northern Colorado can be followed live online via live Stats provided by Northern Colorado at UNCBears.com. Live Stats against Colorado State will be provided through Gametracker at CSURams.com.
 
VIKINGS CONTINE LEAGUE DOMINANCE: The Vikings moved to 6-2 in PCSC play this season with a 3-1 series win over Idaho State last weekend. Anna Bertrand pitched back-to-back complete games on Friday going 1-1 on the day. The Vikings took the first game of the Friday doubleheader 1-0 in seven innings on a fielder's choice in the second inning. The Vikings then would drop an extra inning affair by a score of 3-2 in the second game of the double header with Bertrand going a career-high nine innings while striking out a season-best 12 batters. The Vikings then secured their second consecutive conference series win with a sweep of the Bengals in the Saturday doubleheader. They took the first game, 7-0, with Crysta Conn going 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. The Vikings then took the second game, 2-1, with Karmen Holladay going 2-for-3 while driving in a run. Sadie Lopez drove in the game-winning run on a pinch hit to right field. 
 
GREAT START IN LEAGUE PLAY: The Vikings started league play on the right foot taking three of four at Utah Valley to open PCSC play. They very easily could have won all four games, but suffered a 1-0 setback in game two on Friday. PSU took the series opener, 7-0, scoring in every inning except the third and pounding out 11 hits. Alicia Fine led the way by going 3-for-3 with a double, triple and two RBIs. Anna Bertrand worked the first five innings before Raya Johnson took over for the last two. Johnson came back and fired a gem in the second contest, but took the loss despite only allowing the one run on four hits. PSU outhit UVU, 18-8, on the day. On Saturday, the Vikings won both games on walk-off hits. In the opener, Becca Bliss hit a run-scoring double in the bottom of the eighth to lift PSU to the 3-2 victory, before Karmen Holladay blasted a walk-off homer leading off the bottom of the seventh in game two for a 1-0 win. Bertrand went the distance in both games and finished the weekend with a 3-0 record and 0.70 ERA over 20 innings.
 
PSU-UNC SERIES TIDBITS: Portland State lead the all-time series with Northern Colorado by a margin of 9-2 and are 3-1 on the road. The Vikings took 3-of-4 from the Bears in 2011 in the Vikings first trip to Greeley, Colo. The Vikings dropped the first game 3-2 but then won the second 11-2 in five innings. After a 4-0 victory in the third game of the series in 2011, the Vikings took series finale by as core of 10-2 in five innings. Bertrand is 4-0 all-time against the Bears with a 1.22 ERA having given up only four earned runs in 23 innings … Four current Vikings (Bliss, Conn, Krogh and McEachran) have batting averages of .300 or better for their careers against the Bears … Krogh is 8-for-13 (.615) with five runs scored … McEachran is 10-for-23 (.438) with four runs scored, a home run and five RBIs … Bliss is hitting .364 with three runs scored, a home run and three RBIs … Conn is hitting .300 with a run and three RBIs.
 
A QUICK LOOK AT THE BEARS: The Bears are currently 17-22 on the season and 2-6 in conference play having lost their last six contests. They Colorado State on April 11 before the Vikings and Bears play this weekend. The Rams beat the Bears 10-6 On April 4 and 8-0 on March 28. Northern Colorado split their opening conference series with Weber State (2-2) but was swept last weekend by Utah Valley. Utah Valley outscored UNC, 30-12, over the course of the four-game series. The Bears are hitting .285 as a team this season with Lindsey Smith leading the way with an average of .382. She also leads the team in doubles (12), home runs (7), runs batted in (36) and walks (23). Kelci Cheney has started 16 of the teams 39 games this season and posts an ERA of 4.60 having given up 57 earned runs in 86.2 innings pitched. The Bears have used four pitches this season have combined for a team ERA of 5.36 after giving up 188 earned runs in 245.2 innings pitched this season. Opponents are hitting .350 against the Bears and have recorded 34 home runs.
 
PSU-CSU SERIES TIDBITS: The Vikings and Rams have met only four times and have split the all-time series. The one and only time the Vikings have played in Fort Collins, they won by a score of 12-4 in 2011. The first time the two programs met was Feb. 21, 2004 with the Vikings picking up their other win in the series 6-5.
 
A QUICK LOOK AT THE RAMS: The Rams finished this past weekend with an 18-18 overall record having won six of their last seven games including their last two. Hayley David leads the team with a .346 batting average in 52 at bats this season but Alysa Grechel is hitting .330 with 18 runs scored, with 22 doubles, five home runs and 24 runs batted in. Kacie MacCarthy has started 12 of the teams 36 games in the circle this season with a team-best nine compete games. She has a team best 2.85 ERA in 88.1 innings pitched.
 
THAT MAKES SIX: Anna Bertrand picked up her sixth Pacific Coast Softball Conference Mountain Division Player of the Week honor as announced by the league office Tuesday. The junior from McMinnville, Ore. now has 13-career player of the week honors, which is second most in PCSC history. She sits two behind Tiffany Pagano who picked up 15 career honors from 2005-08 at Loyola Marymount. Bertrand went 2-1 with a 0.61 ERA (23.0 IP, 2 ERA) in four appearances, including three starts, in the four-game series against Idaho State this past weekend. She allowed 11 hits and 10 walks while striking out 31 for the weekend. For the season, Bertrand is 13-8, with one save, a 1.77 ERA and has recorded 145 strikeouts to lead the PCSC in both ERA and strikeouts.