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PORTLAND – Freshman catcher Lauran Bliss hit .833 going 5-for-6 with a run scored, a home run, and four driven in leading the Vikings to a split against the Southern Utah Thunderbirds on the first day of Big Sky Conference action Friday at Erv Lind Stadium.

“It was an exciting day opening the first season of Big Sky Conference softball,” Head Coach Tobin Echo-Hawk said following the games. “Splitting the games is a little disappointing but we played and hit well. Sometimes things don't end up the way you want them to but we did not stop fighting and that's all we can really ask for.”

Senior Anna Bertrand picked up right where she left off last season at Erv Lind throwing a complete game shutout against the Thunderbirds in the first game of the day including a season-high 13 strikeouts. She threw 9 1/3 shutout innings on the day allowing batters to hit just .094.

“Anna did a great job keeping them off balance, her change up was really working,” Echo-Hawk said. “She did a nice job of keeping her composure. She was very confident out there, doing what she needed to do out there on the mound.”

Game 1 – Portland State (8-20, 1-0) 5, Southern Utah (6-18, 0-1) 0

Lauran Bliss got the Vikings on the board in the bottom of the second inning of game one with a two-run home run to straight away center field scoring Brittany Hendrickson who led off the inning with a single.

Portland State added two more runs in the bottom of the third when Crysta Conn drove in Carly McEachran and Becca Bliss on a two-run single to right.

Alexa Morales walked and scored all the way from first base when Sadie Lopez doubled to center field with one out in the bottom of the fourth extending the Vikings' lead to 5-0.

Bertrand was hitting both sides of the plate keeping the Thunderbirds off balance all game long. She struck out 10 of the final 14 batters she faced including striking out the side in both the sixth and seventh innings to close out the game en route to a 13 strikeout performance.

Bertrand threw the complete game shutout allowing just two hits while striking out 13 and walking one. She improved to 5-12 with the win. Lauran Bliss finished the game going 3-for-3 with a run scored, home run, and two RBIs.

Game 2 – Southern Utah (7-18, 1-1) 5, Portland State (8-21, 1-1) 4

The Thunderbirds scored their first run of the day in the top of the first inning of game two after back-to-back two-out hits drove in a run to take a 1-0 lead.

The Vikings took the lead in the bottom of the third inning scoring three unearned runs off SUU starting pitcher Ariel Zimmerman.

Becca Bliss reached on a two-out error by the Southern Utah shortstop before being moved to second when Conn was hit by a pitch. Hendrickson then drove in Becca Bliss with a single before Lauran Bliss drove in Conn and Hendrickson with a single up the middle to give the Vikings a 3-1 lead through three innings. 

Portland State added another unearned run in the bottom of the fourth to go up 4-1 but that would be all the offense the Vikings would get as just one Viking reached base over the final three innings.

Southern Utah added a run in the top of the fifth one a one-out solo home run. Then with two outs, a Viking error extended the inning for the Thunderbirds. They capitalized scoring three more unearned runs off Vikings' starting pitcher Karyn Wright before she was lifted for Bertrand. Bertrand walked the first batter she saw and then induced a fly ball for the third out.

Wright threw 4 2/3 innings for the Vikings allowing five runs, two earned, on eight hits. She did not walk a batter and did not record a strikeout. She was credited with the loss falling to 1-7 on the season.

Bertrand finished the game for the Vikings not allowing a runner to pass second base.

Zimmerman threw a complete game for the Thunderbirds picking up her fourth win of the season. She allowed four unearned runs on seven hits. She struck out four while not allowing a walk. She hit three batters.

Lauran Bliss went 2-for-3 with two RBIs for the Vikings in game two of the doubleheader. Hendrickson went 1-for-4 with a run scored and a RBI.

The Vikings and Thunderbirds will close out the three-game set Saturday at Erv Lind Stadium. First pitch is slated for 12 p.m.

NOTES: Friday's games were the first Big Sky Conference games for both teams … Friday was the Vikings' home opener after playing their first 27 games on the road … Freshman Lauran Bliss went 5-for-6 (.833) with a run scored, home run, and four RBIs on the day … Senior Anna Bertrand threw 9 1/3 scoreless innings on the day with a season-high 13 strikeouts in game one … Five Vikings recorded multiple hits on the day while the team hit .308 … Both games were streamed live online via BigSkyTV for the first time in program history.