Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland State softball team, behind the superb pitching of junior Anna Bertrand, secured their third straight appearance in the Pacific Coast Softball Conference Championship Series with a pair of victories over Weber State on Sunday. Bertrand pitched back-to-back complete came shutouts to secure the championship appearance and pick up her 19 and 20th victories on the season.
 
Bertrand became the first Vikings to win 20 games in a season since Mandy Hill posted 20 wins in 2007. Bertrand threw 14 scoreless innings on Saturday allowing only seven hits while striking out 21 batters on the day to lower her season earned run average to 1.76.
 
Senior Jenna Krogh went 2-for-5 and scored three of the Vikings' four runs on the day. Fellow senior Karmen Holladay went 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
 
Game 1 – Portland State 2, Weber State 0
 
Senior Jenna Krogh led off the game for the Vikings on a walk after Anna Bertrand stranded a Weber State runner in the top of the inning. Carly McEachran dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Krogh to second but reached on an error when the Weber State second baseman muffed the throw at first allowing McEachran to reach safely.
 
Karmen Holladay then walked to load the bases. Krogh scored on a passed ball giving the Vikings a 1-0 lead. After Alicia Fine struck out looking, and with runners on first and second, Crysta Conn dropped down a perfect bunt with the suicide squeeze play on scoring McEachran scored from third increasing the Vikings' lead to 2-0.
 
The Vikings scored two runs in the bottom of the first on three walks, a Wildcat error, a passed ball and a suicide squeeze play to take the 2-0 lead.
 
Bertrand got into trouble in the top of the second after giving up a leadoff single through the left side. She then struck out the next batter for the first out. An error by McEachran at second put runners on first and second with one out. A grounder to Holladay at first for the second out moved runners to second and third. Bertrand came up big with a strikeout swinging to end the inning.
 
After Weber State did nothing in the top of the third or fourth innings, the Vikings threatened to increase their lead in the bottom of the fourth. Alexa Morales walked to start the inning and then moved to second on a ground out to first. After Kayla Norrie struck out, Becca Bliss singled to the shortstop but the ball struck Morales on the foot for the third and final out of the inning.
 
The Wildcats loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the fifth before Bertrand recorded another strikeout to end the threat in the fifth. Bertrand's strikeout to end the fifth started a string of six consecutive strikeouts. She struck out seven of the final eight batters in the game and finished with 12 strikeouts, tying her season high giving the Vikings the 2-0 win. She now has 10 career double-digit strikeout games.
 
Game 2 – Portland State 2, Weber State 0
 
Krogh started the second game of the day like she did the first, by being a terror on the base paths. She hit a triple down the left field line after the ball skipped past the left fielder and rolled toward the fence. Krogh ran head coach Tobin Echo-Hawk's stop sign and made a nice slide to avoid the tag putting the Vikings' leadoff hitter at third with no outs.
 
After McEachran flied out to the second baseman, Holladay reached on a fielder's choice driving in Krogh from third, giving the Vikings the 1-0 lead.
 
With Bertrand coming off a complete game, four hit and 12 strikeout performance in game one of the double-dip, the one run looked to be all the Vikings would need.
 
Now pitching with the lead, Bertrand went to work in the top of the second and put the Wildcats down in order. She did the same in the top of the third inning, recording a strikeout in each inning.
 
Krogh again crated havoc on the base paths after reaching on a one-out infield hit to the shortstop. She then stole second. McEachran then struck out for the second out of the inning but the Wildcats' catcher could not hold onto the ball forcing her to throw McEachran out at first and allowing Krogh to move to third on the throw.
 
With Krogh at third, and two outs, Holladay hit a chopper over the third baseman's head down the left field line for a sinlge driving in Krogh for the second time in the game adding an insurance run for Bertrand. The Vikings now lead 2-0 after three complete.
 
Bertrand walked the leadoff batter in the top of the fourth but then got consecutive fielder's choice putouts and a strikeout to end whatever damage the Wildcats intended on doing.
 
The Wildcats went in order in the fifth with two more strikeouts for Bertrand. After Weber State got two out singles in each of the final two innings, Bertrand fanned the final batter of each inning to shut down the Wildcats. Bertrand got the final batter of the game to go down swinging for her ninth strikeout of the game and 21st of the day giving the Vikings their second 2-0 win on the day.
 
With the win, Bertrand moved to 20 wins on the season and the Vikings secured their spot in the PCSC Championship series May 11-12.
 
The Vikings and Wildcats will do it again on Sunday with their doubleheader starting at 11 a.m. PDT. As it is the final home games for the Vikings this season, Sunday will be senior day with a special presentation honoring the Vikings three seniors; Krogh, Holladay and Maggie Sholian, between games.
                                                                                                                                             
Notes: Anna Bertrand threw her sixth straight complete game in conference play … Bertrand started her eighth consecutive conference game … Bertrand matched her season-high 12 strikeouts in game one … Bertrand recorded 21 strikeouts on the day, exactly one half of the total outs on the day … Bertrand became the first 20-game winner for the Vikings since Mandy Hill posted 20 wins in 2007 … Bertrand has 203 strikeouts this season which is sixth all-time for a single season … Jenna Krogh went 2-for-5 with three runs scored, a triple, a walk and a stolen base on the day … Krogh scored three of the Vikings four runs on the day … Karmen Holladay went 2-for-4 with two RBIs … The Vikings claimed their third straight trip to the PCSC Championship Series … Tobin Echo-Hawk was honored before game one on Saturday for achieving the 100-win mark earlier this season.