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

LONG BEACH, Calif. – The Portland State softball team split its first two games at the Long Beach-Louisville Slugger Invitational Friday. The Vikings opened the tournament with a 9-5 win over Seattle University before falling, 9-3, to Boise State.
 
Brittany Hendrickson led the way for the Vikings at the plate going 5-for-8 on the day including her second home run of the season. She drove in four runs, scored twice, and picked up a walk. Hendrickson improved her batting average by 84 points going from .259 all the way up to .343.
 
Hendrickson opened the day going 4-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored against Seattle. She double don her first two at bats before picking up back-to-back singles. She then walked on her final plate appearance.
 
Game 1 – Portland State 9, Seattle U 5
 
The Vikings got on the board right away in the top of the first inning. Hendrickson picked up the game's first hit with a two-out double to center field. Aubrey Nitschelm then singled to right field to drive in Hendrickson and put PSU up 1-0.
 
Candice Orozco doubled to right center and then came around to score when Celena Carrisosa reached on a throwing error by the Redhawks' third baseman. Shae Nelson singled and then two batters later Lexi Goranson walked to load the bases.
 
Hendrickson then hit her second double in as many innings to drive in both Carrisosa and Nelson to put the Vikings up 4-0.
 
Ashley Smith singled to lead off the top of the third and was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Orozco. After Carrisosa was hit by a pitch, both runners moved into scoring position on a wild pitch.
 
Two batters later Rayleen Pallan got into the action with a single up the middle, which plated two more runs to put PSU up 6-0. Pallan moved to second on the throw and then moved to third on a passed ball. After Goranson walked, the Vikings executed the double-steal to perfection as Goranson stole second and Pallan stole home to give the Vikings the 7-0 lead.
 
Hendrickson then singled to left field to drive in Goranson and PSU was up 8-0 through 2 1/2 innings.
 
Junior RHP Karyn Wright got the start for the Vikings in the circle and was dealing in the early innings. She set down the first seven batters she faced before surrendering a double with two outs in the bottom of the third.
 
After a walk put two runners on, Wright got a swinging strikeout for the second out of the inning. Wright then induced a fielder's choice, which got the lead runner at third to get out of the inning.
 
Wright threw a clean bottom of the fourth before getting into trouble in the bottom of the fifth. Wright got the first out in the fifth and was two outs away from ending the game in the fifth via the run rule.
 
After back-to-back singles, the next batter reached on a fielder's choice. The Vikings went to second for the out but the ball was dropped and all three runners were safe. The next batter doubled to right field scoring two. The next batter singled down the right field line for two more runs and the Redhawks had cut the lead in half at 8-4.
 
Melissa Masters came on in relief of Wright and got the final two outs of the inning to limit the damage.
 
After a scoreless sixth inning, Carrisosa reached on an error to lead off the top of the seventh. She moved all the way to third on the error. Two batters later, Pallan drove in Carrisosa with a single through the left side to put PSU up 9-4.
 
A walk and a double plated a run for the Redhawks in the bottom of the seventh but it was too little, too late as Portland State won 9-5.
 
Wright picked up her first win of the season to improve to 1-1. She gave up four runs, three earned, over 4 1/3 innings. She allowed six hits, walked one, and struck out one.
 
Hendrickson went 4-for-4 in the game with three RBIs while Pallan went 2-for-4 with three RBIs. Sophomore C Alex Flores went 3-for-5 in the game.
 
Game 2 – Boise State 9, Portland State 3
 
Hendrickson got the Vikings on the board again in game two with a solo home run to right field. It was the second of the season for Hendrickson and the 16th of her career, which puts her into a tie for fifth all-time at Portland State with Kayla Lewis (2002-05).
 
The Portland State lead did not last long as the Broncos plated a run on an RBI single to tie the game at 1-1. After a scoreless second inning, The Vikings plated two more runs to go up 3-1 on a Nitschelm two-run double to right center.
 
Portland State starting pitcher Kristen Crawford got into trouble in the bottom of the third inning as Boise State plated six more runs on five hits to take the lead at 7-3. Raya Johnson came on in relief to get the final out of the inning and to stop the bleeding at six runs.
 
The score remained the same until the Broncos added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to go up 9-3. Karyn Wright came on in relief in the inning and got an inning-ending double play to get out of the jam. Portland State went in order in the top of the seventh to end the game.
 
Crawford fell to 3-3 on the season with the loss. She allowed seven earned runs on seven hits over 2 2/3 innings pitched. Boise State's Rachel Rodriguez improved to 3-5 with the complete game win.
 
The Vikings will play two more games Saturday when they take on Utah Valley (12 p.m. PT) and No. 14/13 UCLA (7 p.m. PT). It will be the second meeting between the Vikings and the Wolverines this season and the first game against a ranked opponent for Portland State.
 
NOTES: Brittany Hendrickson went 4-for-4 with three RBIs against Seattle U … Hendrickson hit her 16th career home run moving her into a tie for fifth all-time … Rayleen Pallan drove in a career-high three RBIs.