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

TAMPA, Fla. – The Portland State softball team dropped a pair of games to open the 2015 USF Under Armour Showcase hosted by South Florida in Tampa. The Vikings opened the day with a tough 2-1 loss in nine innings to Wisconsin before falling to host South Florida, 7-1.
 
Game 1 – Wisconsin 2, Portland State 1 – Nine Innings
 
Portland State starting pitcher Meagan Hendrix faced the minimum through four innings before Wisconsin broke a scoreless tie with an unearned run in the top of the fifth inning. A leadoff walk came around to score on a Portland State error with two outs.
 
The Viking offense was held to just two hits going into the bottom of the seventh inning. After the first batter of the inning grounded out, Aubrey Nitschelm took a 1-0 pitch and drove it over the fence in right center to tie the game.
 
As the game moved into extra innings, international tiebreaker rules came into effect, which placed a runner on second to start the inning.
 
Hendrix worked her way around the runner in scoring position and got out of the eighth inning unscathed. Unfortunately, she was unable to do so in the top of the ninth and Wisconsin scored another unearned run to go up 2-1.
 
Brittany Hendrickson was placed at second to start the bottom of the ninth inning before being lifted for pinch runner Lauran Bliss. Bliss moved to third on a wild pitch before Ashley Smith reached on an infield single to third. Bliss was unable to score on the play.
 
The next three Vikings went down in order stranding the game-tying run at third base.
 
Hendricks allowed two runs, none earned, on three hits over a career-high nine innings. She walked five and stuck out four. She fell to 1-3 on the season with the loss.
 
Game 2 – South Florida 7, Portland State 1
 
South Florida scored a run in the bottom of the first inning off Portland State starter Karyn Wright. The scored remained 1-0 in favor of the Bulls until the Vikings plated a run in the top of the fifth.
 
Lexi Goranson led off the top of the fifth with a single to left field. She was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Mackenzie Bourbanis before being driven in on Bliss' single up the middle to tie the game at 1-1.
 
South Florida led off the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run followed by a two-run home run two batters later off Wright to go up 4-1.
 
The Bulls added three more runs in the bottom of the sixth off relief pitcher Kristen Crawford to go up by the final margin of 7-1.
 
Wright allowed four earned runs on eight hits over four innings and fell to 1-3 with the loss.
 
Portland State will play two more games at the USF Under Armour Showcase Saturday against Mercer (11:15 a.m. ET) and Boston College (4:15 p.m. ET).
 
NOTES: Aubrey Nitschelm hit her second home run of the season against Wisconsin … Ashley Smith improved her hitting streak to five games.