Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Vikings (19-21 overall, 9-5 Pacific Coast Softball Conference) took game one of their doubleheader with the Redhawks (15-22, 7-7) of Seattle University Saturday by a score of 5-3 but then could not give junior pitcher Anna Bertrand any run support in the second game to fall by a score of 1-0 in 10 innings.
 
Bertrand threw a career-best 10 innings in game two and allowed only one run, which was not earned, on one hit while walking only one batter and striking out nine in the losing effort. She pitched all 17 innings on the day and gave up only three earned runs, all in the first game to drop her earned run average to 2.03 on the season.
 
Freshman shortstop Alicia Fine extended her career-best hitting streak to seven games by going 3-for-3 with a double, two runs scored, two runs batted in and a solo home run in the first game of the day. She then went 0-for-4 in the second game to break the streak.
 
It really was a tale of two games for the Vikings' hitters, especially the one through five hitters. They combined to go 7-for-15 with five runs scored and five RBIs in the first game and then were shut out, 0-for-20 in game two.
 
The Vikings came into the weekend tied with Weber State at 8-6 in PCSC play. Weber State, which was scheduled to play doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday, split its games with Utah Valley. The Vikings could end the weekend a game up on Weber State in the PCSC Mountain Division standings if they can sweep Seattle on Sunday.
 
Game 1 – Portland State 5, Seattle 3
 
The Vikings got on the board quickly in the bottom of the first inning with one run. Jenna Krogh led off the game for the Vikings with a single up the middle. After stealing second, Krogh was moved to third on a groundout by Carly McEachran. Fine then extended her hitting streak to a career-best seven games with a RBI double to right field scoring Krogh from third and giving the Vikings the 1-0 lead after one complete.
 
Fine then increased the Vikings' lead to 2-0 when she led off the third inning with a solo home run to left field for her fifth of the year.
 
Krogh led off the fifth with a single to the third baseman, her third of the game, but was forced out at second when McEachran reached on a fielder's choice. Fine then reached on an infield single to the shortstop advancing McEachran to second. They both moved up a base on a wild pitch. Karmen Holladay then ended her 11-game home run drought with a three-run bomb over the left fielder's head to give the Vikings a 5-0 lead heading to the top of the sixth inning.
 
The top half of the sixth was where things got interesting for Bertrand in the circle. The first two batters of the inning reached on a single and a walk respectively. A groundout to third base put runners on the corners with one out for Seattle. The Next batter singled to right scored the runner from third with the runner from first advancing to third bringing the score to 5-1 Vikings.
 
The next batter walked to load the bases. With the infield playing in, the next batter hit the ball sharply to Crysta Conn at third base who went home for the force-out and the second out of the inning. With the bases still loaded, a single to center brought home two runs and the Vikings' lead was cut to 5-3. The Redhawks put three runs on the board and left the bases loaded when Bertrand struck out a batter looking for the final out.
 
After a scoreless bottom of the sixth, Bertrand shut down the Redhawks in the seventh to claim her 16th win of the season. She went seven innings and gave up three earned runs on seven hits and walked four while striking out seven.
 
Game 2 – Seattle 1, Portland State 0 (10 innings)
 
The second game of the day was a stark comparison with the first. The Vikings did not manage a hit until Sadie Lopez hit a double down the right field line with one out in the third inning. She was then stranded at third base.
 
The Redhawks did not get a base runner until, with one out in the top of the fourth, a runner reached on a catchers interference call. She did not advance past first base.
 
Back-to-back singles with one out in the fifth by Conn and Kayla Norrie gave the Vikings a great opportunity. Lopez flied out for the second out and then Becca Bliss walked to load the bases with two outs brining Krogh to bat.
 
Krogh went 3-for-4 in the first game with three singles but could not come up with the big hit in game two and grounded out to second to end the inning.
 
Heading to the top of the sixth inning, Bertrand was working on a no-hitter. She got a strikeout looking to start the inning and then surrendered her only walk for the Redhawks second base runner of the game. The no-hitter was broken up when the next hitter singled to center field. The Vikings then got out of the inning when the next batter lined out to the shortstop that then doubled off the runner at second for a double play.
 
The Vikings got a runner on bases in the bottom of the seventh thanks to a single by pinch hitter Maggie Sholian but could not cash in and sent the game to extra innings with the game still scoreless.
 
Neither team could get anything going in the eighth or ninth innings. With the start of the 10th inning, the international tiebreaker rule came into effect with each team starting with a runner on second.
 
With a runner on second, the Redhawks moved the runner over to third via the sacrifice bunt putting the go-ahead run just 60-feet away. A sacrifice fly to center field scored the run giving the Redhawks their first lead of the day at 1-0. A fly out to left would end the inning but the damage was done and Seattle led 1-0.
 
The Vikings started their half of the inning with Alexa Morales at second base; she was the final out in the previous inning. Conn struck out after failing to sacrifice Morales to third base. Norrie then reached on a fielder's choice. Norrie grounded the ball to third base when Morales strayed too far away from second and was thrown out for the second out.
 
Lopez then came up and hit a soft blooper to the second baseman, which dropped just in front of her glove for a base hit. Norrie advanced to second but thought the ball had been caught and found herself in no man's land between second and third. When realizing that the ball dropped, she took off for third and made it safely thanks to a terrific slide avoiding the tag.
 
With runners on the corners and two outs, the Vikings had some life left in them down by only one run. Bliss came up to the plate and on a 1-1 pitch drove the ball to deep left field where the left fielder made a great leaping catch to end the game and preserve the win.
 
Bertrand ended the game throwing a career-best 10 innings while allowing only one hit, walking one and striking out nine in the losing effort.
 
With the split Saturday, the Vikings find themselves sitting at 9-5 in PCSC play with Weber State at 10-6. The Vikings and Redhawks will do it again on Sunday with another doubleheader slated to start at 12 p.m. PDT.