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TEMPE, Ariz. – The Portland State softball team dropped a close and hard fought game against No. 20 Stanford, 3-1, Friday afternoon at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz.

Senior Carly McEachran gave the Vikings some offense going 2-for-4 in the game with another home run. She now has four home runs in three games this season and has hit a long ball in four of her last five games going back to last season.

The Vikings (1-2 overall) outhit the Cardinal (2-1) 9-to-5 in the game but could not get the clutch hit that they needed with runners on base. 

The Cardinal scored a run in the top of the first on a leadoff triple and a sacrifice fly. They threatened to score again but Vikings junior pitcher Anna Bertrand got induced ground ball to first to end the inning with runners on second and third.

Bertrand pitched a complete game allowing three earned runs on five hits with four walks and four strikeouts and suffered the loss after pitching a tremendous game dropping to 0-2 on the season.

Stanford added a run in the third and added a run in the fifth. The Cardinal threated to open the game wide open in the fifth but again Betrand got out of trouble inducing a comebacker which she threw to first for the final out of the inning.

Portland State had a runner in scoring position in both the fifth and sixth innings but did could not come up with the clutch hit to drive in a run.

The Vikings finally broke through with a run in the top of the seventh when McEachran hit her fourth home run of the season to center field with one out. All of McEachran's home runs this season have been with the bases empty.

Freshman catcher Lauran Bliss went 2-for-3 in the game improving to .571 (4-for-7) on the season but has driven in only one run.

Senior pitcher Teagan Gerhart threw a complete game for the Cardinal allowing one earned run on nine hits. She struckout nine Vikings and did not surrender a walk to improve to 1-1.

The Vikings return to action Saturday with an 8:30 a.m. PT/9:30 a.m. MT game with Bradley University.