HILLSBORO, Ore. – Senior OF Candice Orozco opened Big Sky Conference play with a bang, leading the Vikings to a doubleheader split against the Weber State Wildcats Friday afternoon at the Gordon Faber Recreation Complex in Hillsboro, Ore.
 
Orozco and fellow senior OF Brianna Celaya powered the Vikings to a 4-0 win in the first game of the day. Portland State held the led in game two but fell, 5-3, to split the day.
                                                                                                                                                  
Orozco was nearly perfect at the plate on the day, going 5-for-6. She doubled twice, hit her third home run of the season, and drove in four of the Vikings' seven runs.
 
Celaya recorded just one hit in five at bats on the day but made it count with a three-run home run in game one for her second long-ball of the season.
 
"We knew coming in that Weber State would be tough and that we would have to play exceptionally well to win," Head Coach Barb Sherwood said following the doubleheader. "We'll take the split, even though we had a chance at taking two."
                                                                                                                                                                         
Portland State hit .269 as a team on the day while the pitching staff held one of the top offensive teams in the Big Sky to just a .212 mark at the plate. The Vikings allowed just five runs, four earned, over 14 innings for a 2.00 ERA.
 
Senior RHP Karyn Wright, for the first time in her career, posted back-to-back complete game wins after picking up the win in game one. She also went the distance for the win in the second game against Seattle on Tuesday.
 
"Karyn has been a work horse her entire career and has pitched some big innings for us," Sherwood added. "It doesn't faze her. She's been in big moments and has gotten us through big moments."
 
Game 1 – Portland State 4, Weber State 0
 
Weber State threatened to score in the top of the first in game one with two runners in scoring position with one out against Wright. She got out of the inning with back-to-back pop outs to Ashley Smith at short stop.
 
The Wildcats loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the second but Wright again got out of the jam with a groundout to third for the final out of the inning.
 
Orozco got the Vikings on the board with a solo home run to straight-away center field for her third home run of the year, fifth of her career, to put Portland State up 1-0 at the end of the second.
 
Orozco led off the bottom of the fifth with a ground-rule doubled to deep left-center field. SheaLee Lindsey came into run for Orozco before Melissa Masters worked a walk to put two runners on. Celaya then blasted her second home run of the year, a three-run shot, to put PSU up 4-0.
 
Wright recorded three perfect innings over the final five frames to shutout the Wildcats. She allowed just six hits in the game, walked one, and struck out three en route to the win. She improved to 2-3 on the season with the victory.
 
Game 2 – Weber State 5, Portland State 3
 
Orozco's hot hitting continued with a two-run double in the bottom of the first inning in game two to give the Vikings' an early 2-0 run. Smith doubled to lead off the game before Kortney Craker singled with one out. Craker stole second before Orozco doubled in both runners.
 
Weber State got on the board for the first time with a run in the top of the first off game two starting pitcher Alyssa Burk.
 
Shae Nelson singled with one out in the bottom of the third before moving to second on an Alex Flores single down the left field line. Orozco came up again with a big hit, singling to center, to drive in Nelson to put the Vikings back up by two at 3-1.
 
Burk, who struggled finding the strike zone throughout the game, got into trouble in the top of the fifth inning. Weber State took its first lead of the day with three runs to go up 4-3, forcing Burk from the game. Senior RHP Kristen Crawford came on in relief and struck out the first batter she saw to get out of the inning.
 
Weber State added an unearned run in the top of the seventh to go up 5-3.
 
Portland State had the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the seventh but could not get the key hit it needed to tie the game, falling 5-3.
 
Orozco matched her career high with three RBIs in game two and set a new career high in hits, going 3-for-4.
 
Burk allowed four runs on five hits over 4 2/3 innings in the losing effort. She walked four and struck out five.
 
Portland State improved to 7-16 overall and 1-1 in Big Sky Conference play with the split. Weber State is now 17-12 and 1-1 this season.

Portland State and Weber State will battle for the series win Saturday in the series finale. First pitch is slated for 12 p.m. PT.