Game 1 Box Score - PDF | HTML
Game 2 Box Score - PDF | HTML

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The Portland State softball team dropped a pair of games Friday to open play at the Wilson/DeMarini Desert Classic hosted by UNLV in Las Vegas, Nev. The Vikings opened the day with an 8-5 loss to UTEP followed by an 11-0 loss in five innings to Cal State Northridge.
 
Lexi Goranson drive in three runs on the day going 1-for-3 overall with a pair of walks and a hit by pitch. She had a .571 on-base percentage as the Vikings' No. 2 hitter.
 
Aubrey Nitschelm and Brittany Hendrickson each had two hits on the day with a run batted in. Hendrickson hit her first home run of the year, a solo shot against UTEP in game one.
 
Game 1 – Texas-El Paso 8, Portland State 5
 
The Vikings took a 5-0 lead into the top of the seventh inning before the Miners scored eight runs, five unearned thanks to three Portland State errors, to take the game by a score of 8-5.
 
Sophomore LHP Meagan Hendrix threw six shutout innings going into the seventh. Hendrix got into trouble in the seventh when the first two batters reached on a double and an error.
 
After a groundout to third, another runner reached base thanks to a PSU error. A run scored on the second error of the inning before another run was driven in on a single up the middle.
 
Junior RHP Kristen Crawford came on in relief of Hendrix and gave up three straight singles, which plated three more runs to tie the game at to give UTEP the lead at 5-5.
 
UTEP scored three more runs in the inning to go up 8-5. Portland State got one runner on base in the bottom of the seventh but the Vikings were unable to mount a comeback.
 
The Vikings got the scoring started with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Rayleen Pallan led off the game with a triple to left field. A sacrifice fly to right off the bat of Lexi Goranson plated the game's first run. To batters later, Alex Flores doubled to right field and was driven in by an Aubrey Nitschelm double.
 
Ashley Smith walked in her first plate appearance for the Vikings to leadoff the bottom of the second. An infield single and an error loaded the bases. Pallan reached on a fielder's choice but Smith was gunned down at the plate on the play.
 
Goranson then plated Mackenzie Bourbanis and Shae Nelson on a double to put the Vikings up 4-0 through two complete innings.
 
Brittany Hendrickson extended the Vikings' lead to 5-0 with a solo home run to left field in the bottom of the fifth inning. It was her first of the season, fourth by a Viking.
 
The score remained the same until the Miners plated eight runs in the top of the seventh inning to win 8-5.
 
Game 2 – CS Northridge 11, Portland State 0 – Five Innings
 
Cal State Northridge defeated Portland State in game two of the day by a score of 11-0 in five innings. The Matadors picked up one run in the bottom of the first inning and could have scored more but a 4-6-3 double play got Portland State staring pitcher Raya Johnson out of the inning.
 
CSUN picked up three more runs in the bottom of the second on a three-run home run after the first two batters reached via a walk and a PSU error respectively.
 
Melissa Masters, making her first pitching appearance of the season, came on to pitch the bottom of the third and allowed three more runs to score. The inning could have been worse but Masters induced a pair of grounders, which resulted in two Matadors being thrown out at the plate.
 
Portland State got three runners on base in the top of the third but could not push across a run.
 
The Matadors plated four runs in the bottom of the fourth via a grand slam home run off PSU pitcher Karyn Wright.
 
Portland State went 1-2-3 in the top of the fifth to lose 11-0 in five innings.
 
The Vikings fell to 2-5 overall on the season with the pair of losses Friday.
 
The Vikings will have a quick turnaround as they play two more games at the Desert Classic Saturday. They take on Utah Valley at 1:30 p.m. PT followed by Boise State at 6 p.m.