TEMPE, Ariz. – The Vikings dropped a pair of games Saturday on the second day of competition at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz. The Vikings dropped their first game of the day to Wisconsin, 13-5, before falling to Utah, 8-0, both in five innings.
 
Senior 2B Melissa Masters led the Vikings at the plate on the day, going 3-for-4 with a run scored and two runs driven in. Kortney Craker went 3-for-5 with two runs scored, two RBIs, and two stolen bases on the day.
 
Game 1 – Wisconsin 13, Portland State 5 (5 innings)
 
Portland State opened the day with a 13-5 loss to Wisconsin in five innings to fall to 0-2 on the season. The Vikings outhit the Badgers, 12-to-9, but it was a seven-run first inning that did in the Vikings.
 
"I am incredibly proud of the offensive production," third-year Head Coach Barb Sherwood said following the first game of the day. "The hitters continued to fight the entire game."
 
Senior RHP Karyn Wright induced the first batter she faced in the bottom of the first inning to fly out to left field. Unfortunately, that would be the only out she would record in the game. The next two batters singled and walked respectively. The Badgers' cleanup hitter recorded the second infield single of the inning to drive in the game's first run, putting runners on the corners.
 
A single to left by the next batter loaded the bases with still just one out in the inning. A double to center field drove in two more runners to put the Badgers up 3-0. A hit batter loaded the bases before the next batter drove the ball over the fence, and Wright from the game, with a grand slam to put Wisconsin up 7-0.
 
Senior RHP Kristen Crawford came on in relief and eventually got the Vikings out of the first inning but the damage was already done.
 
The Vikings scored their first run of the season in the bottom of the second. Craker doubled with one out for the Vikings' first extra-base hit of the season. She scored two batters later on a single off the bat of Masters.
                                                  
Wisconsin added a run in the bottom of the second off Crawford to bring its lead back to seven runs at 8-1.
 
The Vikings recorded three-straight singles with one out in the top of the third to load the bases. After the next batter popped out to the catcher in foul territory, Craker drove in her first RBIs as a Viking with a single, making the score 8-3 going to the bottom of the third.
 
Wisconsin added an unearned run in the bottom of the third to make the score 9-3. Masters got the run back for the Vikings in the top of the fourth. She led off the inning with a walk and then came in to score on senior SS Ashely Smith's fielder's choice.
 
After holding the Badgers scoreless in the bottom of the fourth, the Vikings had a great chance to really get back into the ballgame. After already plating a run in the inning, they had the bases loaded with two outs but were unable to pick up the big hit and trailed 9-5 heading to the bottom of the fifth.
 
Crawford hit the first batter in the bottom of the fifth and then walked the next batter before being lifted from the game. Freshman RHP Alyssa Burk, making her first collegiate appearance, came on in relief.
 
Burk struggled finding the strike zone and walked the first three-batters she faced, allowing a pair of runs to score, both credited to Crawford.
 
Burk got the first out of the inning on a sacrifice fly to center field, but a run scored to put the Badgers up 12-5. The next batter popped out to second base for the second out of the inning. Another walk from Burk loaded the bases with two outs and the Vikings down by seven.
 
The next batter worked a full-count walk to drive in the final run of the game, as the Badgers run-ruled the Vikings, 13-5, in five innings.
 
Portland State outhit Wisconsin but the Vikings allowed 10 batters to reach via the walk or hit by pitch. Wright was credited with the loss, falling to 0-1 on the season.
 
Game 2 – Utah 8, Portland State 0 – 5 innings
 
The Vikings dropped the second game of the day, 8-0, to the Utah Utes in five innings. The Vikings had a rough game at the plate and in the field. The Vikings were limited to just two hits at the plate and committed four errors in the field.
 
"Meagan pitched very well, we just made some costly mistakes behind her," Sherwood said following game two. "I was please with the resiliency all day."
 
The Utes took a 1-0 lead with an unearned run in the bottom of the first inning off starting pitcher Meagan Hendrix. They scored three more unearned runs in the bottom of the third inning after a second error by the Vikings.
 
Utah plated three earned runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to go up 7-0. They added another unearned run in the bottom of the fifth inning to go up 8-0 and win via the run rule.
 
Hendrix allowed eight runs, three earned, on seven hits over 4 1/3 innings. She walked six and struck out one. She fell to 0-1 on the season with the loss.
 
Portland State fell to 0-3 with the loss, while Utah improved to 2-1 with the win.
 
The Vikings conclude action at the Kajikawa Classic Sunday with games against San Diego and Arizona State.