HILLSBORO, Ore. – The Vikings opened their 2016 home slate by splitting a doubleheader with Seattle University Tuesday afternoon at the Gordon Faber Recreation Complex in Hillsboro, Ore. The Vikings led most of the first game before falling 11-8 and then took the second game, 2-1, behind a tremendous pitching performance from senior RHP Karyn Wright.
 
"Losing the first game was tough, but I'm proud of how they bounced back in game two," Head Coach Barb Sherwood said following the doubleheader. "Karyn came in with a huge game. Our defense behind her was stellar. I'm very pleased with our situational hitting in the second game. We got done what we needed to."
 
Wright picked up her first win of the season, going the distance in game two. She scattered eight hits over seven innings and allowed just one run. She walked one and struck out five.
 
Junior C Alex Flores went 3-for-6 on the day with a run scored and three runs driven in. Senior OF Candice Orozco went 3-for-5 with a pair of runs scored and a double on the day, while fellow senior OF Lexi Goranson went 1-for-2 with three runs scored. She also walked four times and stole two bases.
 
Game 1 – Seattle 11, Portland State 8
 
Portland State jumped out to an early 2-0 lead with a two-run single off the bat of senior IF Melissa Masters. The Vikings added four more runs in the bottom of the second to go up 6-0 after two complete.
 
Orozco doubled down the left field line to leadoff the bottom of the second. She moved to third on a deep fly out for the first out. Goranson walked for the first time on the day to put two runners on. After a pop out to short for the second out, Shae Nelson doubled to drive in Orozco and Goranson. Kortney Craker doubled in Nelson with a ground-rule double to center. She then came in on a single down the right field line by Flores to put PSU up 6-0.
 
Seattle came back with four runs, three earned in the top of the third off Portland State starting pitcher Alyssa Burk. The Redhawks loaded the bases with nobody out in the top of the fourth to drive Burk from the game. Senior RHP Kristen Crawford came on in relief and induced a ground ball out as the Vikings got the lead runner at the plate.
 
The next two batters each drove in a run with a fielder's choice and a single respectively to tie the game at 6-6. After a walk reloaded the bases, Crawford got out of the inning with another ground out.
 
Flores gave the Vikings the lead again in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run RBI single to put them up 8-6.
 
Seattle plated three runs, two earned, in the top of the fifth to take their first lead of the game at 9-8. The Vikings were able to get out of the inning after getting the lead runner at third into a rundown on a double-steal for the third out.
 
The Redhawks added two runs in the top of the seventh to go up 11-8. The Vikings' bats cooled off late in the game as they went scoreless over the final three innings to fall by the three-run margin.
 
Crawford was tabbed with the loss after allowing five runs, four earned, over the final four innings. She gave up four hits and walked five and did not record a strikeout.
 
Game 2 – Portland State 2, Seattle 1
 
The Vikings looked to bounce back with a win in their second game of the day. The Redhawks started game two where they left off in game one, with a leadoff ground-rule double off Wright. Wright then settled down and induced a pair of ground outs and a fly out to get out of the inning.
 
Portland State threatened to score in the bottom of the second and third innings after getting a pair of runners on with two outs in each inning, but were unable to plate a run.
 
That changed in the bottom of the fourth. Orozco walked to lead off the inning. After a fly out recorded the first out, Goranson walked. Junior OF SheaLee Lindsey singled up the middle to load the bases. Senior SS Ashley Smith drove in Orozco from third with a groundout to second to put the Vikings up 1-0.
 
Seattle tied the game in the top of the fifth with a double to left center. The Vikings came up with their biggest defensive play of the day with a double-play to end the inning. The batter flied out to left for the second out before Lindsey threw out a runner at the plate for the final out.
 
Smith drove in the eventual game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth. Goranson walked to lead off the inning before stealing second. She moved to third on a groundout before coming in to score on another RBI ground out off the bat of Smith.
 
Seattle got two runners on base in the top of the seventh but Wright picked up the final out of the inning with a fly out to left to secure the 2-1 win for the Vikings.
 
Wright picked up the win with her first complete game of the season. She threw a season-high seven innings.
 
The Vikings open Big Sky Conference play this weekend with a three-game series against Weber State beginning with a doubleheader on Friday, March 25 at 1 p.m. PT.