Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
PORTLAND – Pitching and defense was the name of the game Friday when two of the top pitching teams in the Big Sky Conference faced off at Erv Lind Stadium. Portland State (18-27 overall, 10-4 BSC) split its series opening doubleheader with Sacramento State (21-17, 6-5) by taking the first game 1-0. The Hornets came back and took the second game 8-0 in six innings to force the split.

The Vikings struggled at the plate but got some key hits in game one to score the game's only run before getting shut out in game two.

Senior pitcher Anna Bertrand threw a complete game gem to open the series, shutting out the Hornets. She scattered six hits over seven innings working out of several jams without allowing a runner to reach third base. She struck out 11 batters for her second double-digit strikeout performance of the season while not surrendering a walk.

Bertrand set down Sacramento State in order in the first. Back-to-back hits with two outs in the top of the second for the Hornets put her in her first jam of the day. She struck out the next batter to get out of the inning.

In the top of the third, the Hornets' leadoff batter reached on a Viking error. An infield single put two runners on with nobody out. Bertrand then got her fourth punch-out of the game for the first out.

E. McCormick came up next for Sacramento State and hit a soft line drive to right field. Aubrey Nitschelm came in hard on the ball, freezing the base runners. The ball ended up short hopping into Nitschelm's glove. She then gunned down the runner going to third base for a rare 9-2 fielder's choice. Bertrand then picked up another strikeout to get out of the inning.

T. Stroud entered the bottom of the fourth without surrendering a hit. Becca Bliss ended the no-hit bid with a clean single to left center. Lauran Bliss dropped down her first sacrifice bunt of the year moving B. Bliss to second. Brittany Hendrickson, the Vikings' leading run producer, drove in her 32nd run of the year with a deep fly ball over the right fielder's head that one hopped to the fence to drive in B. Bliss with a standup double.

That proved to be the only run that the Vikings needed as Bertrand went to work shutting down the Hornets over the next three innings. In the top of the fifth, back-to-back one out singles put runners on first and second for Sacramento State.

The Hornets tried the double steal but L. Bliss threw a laser to Alicia Fine who was covering third. Fine caught the ball as she was sliding into third right next to the runner and applied the tag in one swoop for the second out of the inning. Once again Bertrand recorded a strike out to end the inning.

Bertrand set down the Hornets in order in the sixth and the seventh innings recording four straight strikeouts to end the game. Bertrand ended six of the seven innings in the game with a strikeout and evened her record on the season at 14-14.

Sacramento State got on the board early in game two with one run in the top of the first when Portland State starting pitcher Raya Johnson loaded the bases and then walked in a run.

Johnson settled down over the next three innings and did not allow a run. She was aided by some tremendous defensive plays from the players behind her. Crysta Conn snatched a laser line drive at third in the top of the third and then threw out a runner at second for an inning ending double play.

In the top of the fourth, L. Bliss threw out a runner at second to end the inning with a runner on third base to get Johnson out of another jam.

The Hornets added a run in the top of the fifth when with two outs they attempted another double steal, this time with runners on first and third. L. Bliss threw down to Fine at second base but she was unable to apply the tag in time, allowing the runner from third to steal home.

With the score 2-0, Sacramento State blew the game wide open with six runs in the top of the sixth to take an 8-0 lead. Six runs in the inning were credited to Johnson with one going to Karyn Wright who came on in relief.

Johnson finished the game throwing 5 1/3 innings allowing seven earned runs on nine hits. She walked five and struck out a season-high five batters. She fell to 2-6 on the season with the loss.

Caitlin Brooks came into the game with a 12-5 record and a 1.24 earned run average on the season and showed why she's one of the best pitchers in the conference.

She threw a complete game for the Hornets allowing just two hits while walking one and striking out three to pick up the win.

The Vikings had their best scoring opportunity in the bottom of the first when they loaded the bases after the Hornets' first baseman dropped the would-be final out of the inning. B. Bliss doubled in the bottom of the third but that was the only time over the final four innings that the Vikings got a runner to second base.

With the doubleheader split Friday, the Vikings fall out of a first-place tie with Idaho State. The Bengals took both games of their doubleheader at North Dakota by scores of 10-2 in five innings and 19-0 in five innings.

The Vikings and Hornets will play the series' rubber match Saturday with first pitch slated for 12 p.m. PDT. It will also be Senior Day for the Vikings as they honor their four seniors: Anna Bertrand, Sadie Lopez, Carly McEachran, and Alexa Morales.

NOTES: Anna Bertrand improved her PSU career wins record total to 69 games with the game one win … Brittany Hendrickson extended her career-high hitting streak to seven games in game one but had the streak snapped in game two.