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HILLSBORO, Ore. - The Vikings hit their way to a 9-1 win in six innings Sunday afternoon to take the series from Montana, 2-1. Portland State used a pair of home runs and a four-hit day from senior Aubrey Nitschelm to secure their third series win of the season.
 
Nitschelm led the Vikings at the plate going 4-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and four RBIs. She also hit her fifth home run of the year and second of the series.
 
Nitschelm hit .692 (9-for-13) with four runs scored, a double, two home runs and seven RBIs over the course of the three-game series with Montana. She improved her season batting average to .314 and is now hitting .415 in Big Sky Conference action. 
 
Junior Melissa Masters added to the Vikings' weekend home run total with a two-run home run. Portland State hit six home runs against the Grizzlies, the most in a conference series this season. All six home runs were two-run shots.
 
The Vikings scored in the bottom of the first inning for the third time in the series plating one run to take an early 1-0 lead. Nitschelm hit a single to center to score Ashley Smith who walked to leadoff the inning.
 
Alex Flores singled through the left side to leadoff the bottom of the second. Lexi Goranson pinch hit for Flores and scored on the Masters two-run home run to put the Vikings up 3-0. Flores went 2-for-2 and a walk in the game.
 
After a scoreless fourth inning Nitschelm doubled to leadoff the fifth inning, moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a double-steal to put Portland State up 6-0.
 
Junior Karyn Wright got the start for the Vikings in the circle and allowed just three hits over the first five innings of the game.
 
Montana led off the top of the sixth with an infield single. A sacrifice bunt moved the runner to second. The next batter doubled over the right fielders head but the runner at second held up to make sure it was not caught and was only able to make it to third.
 
Following the double, Kristen Crawford came on in relief of Wright for the Vikings. She got the first batter she faced to foul out to Flores behind the plate for the second out. A single to right field scored one run to put the Grizzlies on the board. Crawford walked the next batter to load the bases before making a tremendous play on a slow comebacker for the third out of the inning.
 
The run was credited to Wright who gave up one earned run on five hits while striking out a season-high six batters. She did not give up a walk as she improved to 4-7 with the win.
 
Jenna Stanford, who came in as a defensive replacement in the top of the fifth, led off the bottom of the sixth with an infield single. Smith singled through the left side and Rayleen Pallan reached on a bunt single to load the bases for Brittany Hendrickson.
 
Hendrickson hit a blooper down the left field line to drive in Stanford to put the Vikings up 7-1. Aubrey Nitschelm then singled to center field to drive in Smith from third. The throw came into second base as the Grizzlies tried to force out Hendrickson at second, which allowed Pallan to score and put the Vikings up 9-1 for the run-rule victory.
 
The Vikings recorded 13 hits in the game. It was the second time in the series that they recorded double-digit hits and the fifth time in the last eight games. The Vikings hit .404 as a team against Montana and out-scored the Grizzlies 22-13.
 
The Portland State pitching staff put together an excellent weekend as they went 2-1 with a combined 2.86 ERA. Wright finished the weekend with both wins and a 0.95 ERA after allowing just one earned run over 7 1/3 innings.
 
The Vikings close out the regular season next weekend when they host Sacramento State for a three-game series. The series will begin on Friday, May 1 at 1 p.m. and conclude with a single game on Saturday, May 2 at 12 p.m. The series finale will be Senior Day for the Vikings as well as Little League day.