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PORTLAND – Sophomore Brittany Hendrickson went 2-for-3 and drove in the go-ahead run with a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth leading the Portland State Vikings to a 5-4 win over the Southern Utah Thunderbirds Saturday afternoon at Erv Lind Stadium. Saturday's win secured a 2-1 series win for the Vikings to open Big Sky Conference play. 

After getting behind 3-0 in the first inning, the Vikings (9-21 overall, 2-1 Big Sky Conference) scored two in the second and added one in the third to tie the game at 3-3 through three innings. Hendrickson then gave the Vikings a 5-3 lead with the two-run home run in the fifth.

“It's hard to be down 3-0 in the first inning and keep your composure,” Head Coach Tobin Echo-Hawk said following the series win. “Our team did a great job of coming back and getting some runs on the board giving Anna (Bertrand) some offensive support. Anna did a great job of making some adjustments early and settled in the rest of the game”

The Thunderbirds (7-20, 1-2) closed the gap with a run in the top of the sixth but some clutch defensive plays and the pitching of Vikings' starting pitcher Anna Bertrand closed out the game for Portland State.

Southern Utah  got to Bertrand early with three runs in the top of the first inning. The Thunderbirds got a one-out walk which scored from first on a double to left center giving SUU a 1-0 lead. Southern Utah then added two more runs on a home run to go up 3-0.

Hendrickson led off the bottom of the second with an infield single to the third baseman. She was then moved to second on a single through the left side by Crysta Conn. Alicia Fine moved both runners up 60-feet to second and third with her team-leading fourth sacrifice bunt of the year.

Two batters later, Alexa Morales doubled in both runners on a deep fly ball over the left fielders' head cutting the lead to 3-2 through two innings. Senior Carly McEachran led off the bottom of the third with her seventh home run of the season to tie the game at 3-3.

Bertrand got into trouble in the top of the fourth after a pair of hits and a hit batter loaded the bases with one out. She then induced a tapper back to her in the circle. She went home to catcher Lauran Bliss who went on to Hendrickson at first for the inning ending 1-2-3 double play to get out of the jam.

McEachran led off the bottom of the fifth with a walk and was moved to second on Becca Bliss' sacrifice bunt. Two batters later Hendrickson blasted the go-ahead two-run home run to straight away center field giving the Vikings a 5-3 lead. Hendrickson ended the game going 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored and a two-run home run. She extended her current hitting streak to four games, which ties her career best.

Southern Utah added a run in the top of the sixth to cut the Vikings' lead to 5-4 and looked to add more but Sadie Petersen threw out a runner at third for the second out of the inning. After the Thunderbirds got runners on the corners with two outs, Bertrand induced another grounder back to her, which she easily threw over to first to end the inning and the threat.

Bertrand set down SUU in order in the seventh to secure the series win. She threw her second complete game in the last three games allowing four earned runs on eight hits. She walked five and struck out two improving to 6-12 on the season.

Ariel Zimmerman allowed five earned runs on seven hits. She took the loss falling to 4-11.

The Vikings head to Weber State for their first Big Sky road series next weekend. They open the series Friday, March 29 with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. PT. The series finale is slated for Saturday at 11 a.m. PT.

NOTES: Portland State won its first series of Big Sky Conference play … Brittany Hendrickson went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a home run … Hendrickson has hit safely in a season-high four straight games … Hendrickson is 6-for-13 (.461) with four runs scored, three RBIs, two doubles and a home run during the streak … Crysta Conn and Carly McEachran have each hit safely in all three games this weekend … Lauran Bliss went 5-for-8 with a run scored, four RBI, and a home run on the weekend … Anna Bertrand went 2-0 with a 1.71 ERA allowing just four earned runs in 16 1/3 innings on the weekend.