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

HILLSBORO, Ore. – The Portland State softball team dropped a pair of tough games to the Southern Utah Thunderbirds Saturday afternoon at Gordon Faber Recreation Complex Field No. 4. Southern Utah took the first game by a score of 5-3 before taking the second game 5-4.
 
Senior IF Brittany Hendrickson led the Vikings at the plate going 3-for-6 (.500) with three runs scored and a solo home run. Fellow senior Aubrey Nitschelm went 3-for-7 (.429) with two RBIs on the day.
 
Junior OF Lexi Goranson went 2-for-5 (.400) with a clutch two-run double and a run scored. Ashley Smith scored a pair of runs on the day and swiped three bags.
 
Southern Utah nearly got on the board in the top of the first inning of game one when Kaitlin Williams appeared to hit a two-out two-run home run. However, the runner at first base left early and was called out on the play. The home run was nullified and the inning was over. 
 
Portland State got the scoring going in the bottom of the inning with a pair or runs on five straight hits, four of which did not leave the infield. Nitschelm came to the plate with the bases loaded and singled through the right side scoring Smith and Rayleen Pallan on the play to put the Vikings up 2-0 at the end of one complete inning.
 
In the top of the fourth inning the Thunderbirds had the bases loaded and nobody out. They hit a fly ball to center field for the first out, which appeared to be a sacrifice fly to score a run but yet again the runner left early for the second out. The inning ended on a strikeout, as the Vikings got out of the inning unscathed.
 
The Vikings added another run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Hendrickson led off the inning with an infield single and moved to second on a Nitschelm single down the left field line. Hendrickson moved to third on a fly ball to right field with two outs.
 
With runners on the corners, Nitschelm took off for second and got caught in a rundown. During the rundown, Hendrickson was able to come in and score and Nitschelm made her way back to first on the play. The play put PSU up 3-0 through five innings.
 
Portland State starting pitcher Karyn Wright held Southern Utah scoreless through the first six innings of the game. The top of the seventh inning, however, got away from Wright as a series of unfortunate events befell the Vikings.
 
Wright walked the leadoff batter to start the inning. The next batter flew out to right field for the first out. The next batter reached on a fielder's choice to Celena Carrisosa at second base. Carrisosa fielded the grounder and got the lead runner for what would be the second out of the inning.
 
Carrisosa, however, was pinch-hit for in the bottom of the sixth inning, and by what can only be described as miscommunication between the Portland State bench and the home plate umpire; Carrisosa was not officially reentered into the game. Therefore she was illegally involved in the play, which resulted in both SUU runners being safe on the play.
 
So instead of a runner on first and two outs, Southern Utah had two runners on and one out. Unfortunately, the next batter hit a three-run home run to straightaway left field to tie the game at 3-3.
 
But Southern Utah was not done there. The next batter singled up the middle. The Thunderbirds then traded runners on first base as the Vikings got the lead runner at second on a groundout.
 
A double down the left field line put two runners in scoring position with two outs. The next batter reached on an error by the shortstop that allowed a runner to score. A single to center drove in another run before a lineout to center ended the inning. The damage was done and SUU led 5-3.
 
Portland State got a runner on in the bottom of the seventh but fell to Southern Utah by the final 5-3 margin. Wright allowed five runs, three earned, on seven hits while walking five and striking out three in the losing effort.
 
Hendrickson got the Viking off to a good start in the bottom of the first of game two with a solo home run to right field. It was the third of the season for Hendrickson and 17th of her career. She is now in sole possession of fifth all-time at Portland State. She needs two more to match former teammate Carly McEachran (2010-13) who hit 19 in her career.
 
Portland State increased its lead to 2-0 with a run in the bottom of the second. Goranson walked to leadoff the inning and scored later in the inning on a sacrifice fly off the bat of pinch hitter Brianna Celaya.
 
Kristen Crawford got the start in the circle for the Vikings in game two and got out of a one-out bases loaded jam in the top of the third inning. She induced a lineout to Groanson in center who doubled-off the runner at second, who took off on the play, for the final out of the inning.
 
Crawford could not get around an error in the top of the fourth when three runs came in to score as the Thunderbirds took a 3-2 lead. They plated a run in the top of the fifth to go up two runs at 4-2.
 
The Vikings had runners on the corners with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Goranson hit a two-run double to left center scoring Smith from third and Hendrickson all the way from first base to tie the game at 4-4 through six innings.
 
Southern Utah plated a run in the top of the seventh to take a 5-4 lead into the bottom of the last.
 
Alex Flores led off the inning with a single to left field. Two batters later, the Vikings grounded into a game-ending double play to fall 5-4 in game two.
 
Crawford allowed five runs, two earned, on eight hits over seven complete innings. She walked two and struck out three in the losing effort.
 
Southern Utah improved to 9-15 overall and 2-0 in Big Sky Conference play while Portland State fell to 6-21 overall and 0-2.
 
The Vikings will try and salvage a game in the series finale slated for Sunday at 11 a.m. at Gordon Faber No. 4. The game will be moved up an hour due to inclement weather in the forecast.