SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Portland State dropped a tough 5-4 game to Illinois-Chicago Saturday afternoon at the San Diego Classic I in San Diego, Calif.
 
The Vikings took a 4-3 lead in the top of the seventh but a pair of RBI singles by the Flames in the bottom of the seventh gave them the walk-off win.

"UIC is a resilient team. We kept trading punches and they landed the last blow," Head Coach Barb Sherwood said following the game. "I am proud of how hard we fought, we just didn't come out on top."

Senior RHP Kristen Crawford threw a complete game and allowed five earned runs on nine hits over six complete innings in the loss. She walked a career-high seven batters and struck out four. She fell to 1-5 on the season with the loss.
 
Senior IF Ashley Smith went 2-for-4 on the day and matched her career high with three runs batted in. Sophomore IF Kortney Craker went 2-for-3 with a double and scored two of the Vikings' four runs.
 
The game remained scoreless through the first four innings before the Vikings were able to plate the game's first runs in the top of the fifth. Junior OF SheaLee Lindsey reached, and advanced to second, on a throwing error by the Flame's third baseman to leadoff the inning.
 
Senior OF Brianna Celaya tired to move Lindsey to third but struck out swinging. The catcher dropped the ball and had to throw Celaya out at first. The throw got away from the first baseman, allowing Celaya to go all the way to second on the play and Lindsey to move to third.
 
Lindsey tired to score but was thrown out at the plate on junior IF Shae Nelson's fielder's choice. Celaya moved to third on the play putting runners on the corners with one out. Craker was then hit by a pitch to load the bases.
 
After an Illinois-Chicago pitching change, Candice Orozco worked a five-pitch walk to drive in the game's first run to put the Vikings up 1-0. After the next batter lined out to the pitcher, Smith singled through the right side, driving in Craker and Nelson to put the Vikings up 3-0. It was the Vikings' first hit with runners in scoring position after they starting the game 0-for-8. The next batter popped out to second for the final out of the inning but the damage was done and the Vikings led by three.
 
The Flames tied the game with three runs of their own in the bottom of the fifth. Illinois-Chicago loaded the bases with a two-out walk off Crawford. A run came in on a wild pitch before two more were driven in on a single to right center to tie the game at 3-3. Crawford walked the next batter to put two runners on before inducing a groundout to end the inning.
 
The Vikings had a great chance to answer in the top of the sixth after getting a runner on third with one out. Unfortunately, the next two batters recorded outs as Portland State was unable to drive in the go-ahead run.
 
Illinois-Chicago threated to score with a pair of runners in scoring position and two outs in the bottom of the inning but Crawford was able to induce a fly out to center for the third out.
 
Portland State retook the lead with a run in the top of the seventh. Craker singled to third base to leadoff the inning. After the next batter popped out to second, Craker went first-to-third on an infield single by Katherine Kramer. Craker then scored the go-ahead run on a fielder's choice off the bat of Smith to put the Vikings up 4-3. Smith pulled the ball to the UIC second baseman, who unsuccessfully tired to throw Craker out at the plate.
 
Crawford was unable to get an out in the bottom of the seventh as the Flames plated two runs to win 5-4. A single up the middle and a walk put two runners on with nobody out. Back-to-back RBI singles plated a pair of runs to give Illinois-Chicago the win.
 
Illinois-Chicago improved to 10-8 with the win, while Portland State fell to 5-13 with the loss.
 
The Vikings conclude the San Diego Classic I with a pair of games Sunday. The Vikings take on Grand Canyon (12:30 p.m. PT) before finishing with San Diego State (3:00 p.m. PT).