Box Score
PORTLAND – Becca Bliss blasted a pair of home runs including a walk-off solo shot in the bottom of the ninth, Lauran Bliss tied the game in the fifth with a three-run double, and Anna Bertrand went the distance for her 70th career win that led the Vikings to a 6-5 victory in nine innings over the Sacramento State Hornets Saturday at Erv Lind Stadium on Senior Day.

Becca Bliss came to the plate with one out in the bottom of the ninth and hit her second home run of the day, fifth of the season, to straight away center field giving the Vikings their first walk-off win of the season.

“It was one of those games where you wanted to do it for your seniors on their Senior Day,” Becca Bliss said after the game. “It was a complete team game today. Anna (Bertrand) pitched great and Lauran (Bliss) came up with a clutch hit. It was a great team win.”

Becca Bliss started the game in the exact same fashion that she ended it, with a one-out solo home run to give the Vikings a 1-0 lead.

With Bertrand pitching for Portland State (19-27 overall, 11-4 Big Sky Conference) it seemed like the 1-0 lead would be all the Vikings would need. She allowed a single in the first and then sat down the Hornets in order in the second.

Sacramento State (21-18, 6-6) finally got on the board with a big five-run inning in the bottom of the third; the Hornets batted around to take a 5-1 lead. Only two runs were earned as the Vikings' defense committed two errors in the game.

Caitlin Brooks came into the day with a 1.18 season ERA for Sacramento State after shutting down the Vikings in game two of the series. The Vikings got only two hits off Brooks Saturday but started having more success as the game progressed.

After Becca Bliss' home run in the first, the Vikings got a pair of runners on base in the third but could not plate a run. They finally cut into the lead with a run in the fourth when Alexa Morales singled to right to drive in Crysta Conn from second.

Sadie Lopez led off the bottom of the fifth for the Vikings with a solid single to left field, her second hit of the day after doubling in the third. Carly McEachran reached on an infield single to deep short. Becca Bliss loaded the bases with a four-pitch walk to load the bases.

Freshman catcher Lauran Bliss cleared the bases with a three-run double off the left field fence that tied the game at 5-5 in the bottom of the fifth. A pitching change allowed the Hornets to get out of the inning without surrendering another run in the fifth, but the damage was already done.

After the bit five-run inning for the Hornets in the third, Bertrand settled down and retired the next 15 batters she faced, recording four strikeouts in the process.

The Hornets leadoff batter reached base on the third Viking error in the top of the ninth. Back-to-back fielder's choices got the lead runner at second for the first two outs. The Vikings got out of the inning when the Hornets' runner at first tried to swipe second; Lauran Bliss gunned her down at second to end the inning.

Becca Bliss then hit her second home run of the game to straight away center field with one out to walk-off for the Vikings. It was the first walk-off home run for Portland State since Fine hit a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the ninth against Northern Colorado last year.

Becca Bliss finished the day 2-for-4 with three runs scored and a pair of solo home runs. Lauran Bliss went 1-for-4 with a three-run double while Sadie Lopez went 2-for-4.

Bertrand threw her 21st complete game of the season allowing five runs, two earned, while scattering seven hits over nine innings. She walked just one and struck out seven. She improved to 15-14 with the win and now has 70 career wins.

The Vikings will play a non-conference doubleheader with Oregon State, Tuesday at Erv Lind starting at 6 p.m. PDT. They will then head to Grand Forks, N. D. for their final three-game conference series.

Portland State is one game back of Idaho State in the Big Sky standings with three games to play. The Vikings would have to win the regular season outright to host the conference tournament after dropping the season series to Idaho State.

NOTES: Becca Bliss recorded the  first multi-home run game of her career … Becca Bliss has now hit safely in seven straight games … Becca Bliss is hitting .400 (10-for-25) with nine runs scored, three doubles, two home runs and is slugging .760 during her hitting streak … Anna Bertrand increased her PSU career wins record to 70 games.