Box Score

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – The Vikings dropped the final game of their five-game Colorado road trip Monday afternoon by a score of 10-9 in eight innings to move to 18-18 overall on the season.
 
The Vikings fell behind early but fought all the way back and took the lead after scoring three runs in the fifth and five more in the sixth but two runs in the bottom of the seventh for the Rams sent the game into extra innings. An RBI double in the bottom of the eighth gave them the extra inning walk-off win for the Rams.
 
After a scoreless top of the first, the Vikings quickly found themselves in a hole after spotting the Rams (20-21) four runs, two of which were earned, in the bottom of the first inning. The Rams added a solo home run in the bottom of the third to give them the 5-0 lead through three innings.
 
The Vikings got on the board in the top of the fourth on an RBI single double from Alexa Morales scoring Danai Martin all the way from first after she reached on a leadoff single to start the inning brining the score to 5-1 in favor of the Rams.
 
Portland State starring pitcher Raya Johnson got out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the fourth to keep the score 5-1. Johnson threw her fourth complete game of the season but gave up 10 runs, seven earned, on 13 hits while walking nine and striking out eight to drop to 2-5 with the loss.
 
Aubrey Nitschelm led off the top of the fifth with a single to left field. Back-to-back walks loaded the bases with no outs for the Vikings. After a pop out to second, Alicia Fine drove in a run on a fielder's choice with the Rams getting a force play at second. With runners on the corners and two outs Morales ripped a double through the right side driving in her second and third runs of the game narrowing the Rams lead to 5-4.
 
The Rams added two runs in the bottom of the fifth to increase their lead to 7-4 going to the sixth inning.
 
With one out in the top of the sixth, Nitschelm reached on an error and then was moved to second after Becca Bliss was hit by a pitch. Jenna Krogh doubled in Nitschelm bringing the score to 7-5. Martin then reached on an infield single to load the bases.
 
Fine then doubled in Bliss and Krogh tying the game at 7-7. Three batters later, Carly McEachran hit a pinch hit double scoring Martin and Fine and giving the Vikings their first lead of the day at 9-7.
 
The Vikings held the 9-7 lead heading to the bottom of the seventh. The rams would load the bases on two singles and a walk with one out in the bottom of the seventh. The next batter hit into a fielder's choice with the Vikings recording the second out of the inning at the plate.
 
With the Vikings one out away from a win and up by two, the Rams came up with a two run double tying the game at 9-9. The Rams had the potential winning run just 60-feet away at third base when Johnson induced a swinging strikeout to end the inning and send the Vikings in to their second extra inning in three games.
 
After the Vikings went scoreless in the top of the eighth, the Rams scored the winning run on a walk off single with one out in the bottom of the inning.
 
The Vikings now head to the University of Oregon for a midweek non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday at Howe Field in Eugene, Ore. The first game will begin at 3 p.m. PDT with the second game slated for a 5 p.m. start.
 
Notes: Raya Johnson threw a career-best 7.1 innings pitched … Johnson recorded a career-best eight strikeouts … Alexa Morales went 3-for-5 with three runs batted in … Alicia Fine went 2-for-5 with three RBIs … Fine has hit safely in four straight games … Fine recorded her sixth multiple RBI game of the season, a team best ... Danai Martin went 2-for-4 with two runs scored.