CEDAR CITY, Utah.  – The Vikings split the first two games of a three-game series with the Southern Utah Thunderbirds Friday afternoon in Cedar City, Utah. The Vikings dropped the first game, 8-2, before rallying in game two for a 7-4 win.
 
Portland State improved to 8-18 overall and 2-3 in Big Sky Conference play with the split, while Southern Utah moved to 6-27 and 3-2.
 
The Vikings offense was held to just two runs on six hits in the opening game of the series but the bats came alive in game two as they tallied seven runs on 12 hits behind another stand-out performance by Kortney Craker at the plate.
 
After going hitless in game one, Craker went 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored, two RBIs, and her fourth home run of the season to lead the Vikings to the victory. It was Craker's ninth multi-hit game and third multi-RBI game of the season.
 
SheaLee Lindsey, who was inserted into the lineup last week due to an injury, tallied a career-high four hits in game two, going 4-for-4 at the plate. It matched Alex Flores' 4-for-4 game earlier this season for the most hits in a game this season by a Viking. Lindsey went a perfect 6-for-6 on the day with a double as the Vikings' No. 9 hitter. She is now hitting .636 (7-for-11) in Big Sky Conference play this season.
 
Alyssa Burk evened her record at 3-3 with the win in game two. She allowed four earned runs on seven hits over 5 1/3 innings. She walked four and struck out four.
 
Game 1 – Southern Utah 8, Portland State 2
 
Southern Utah had several chances to score in the bottom of the first inning off Portland State starting pitcher Karyn Wright. After loading the bases with one out, a fielder's choice cut down the lead runner at the plate for the second. The next batter grounded out to first to end the inning.
 
Brianna Celaya drove in the game's first run in the top of the second. Melissa Masters walked and then stole second before Celaya singled in Masters to put the Vikings up 1-0.
 
The Thunderbirds plated four runs, three earned, in the bottom of the second off Wright to take an early 4-1 lead.
 
Candice Orozco made it a 4-2 game in the top of the fourth with a sacrifice fly to bring in Celena Carrisosa, who came in to pinch run after Flores singled to lead off the inning.
 
Southern Utah broke the game open in the bottom of the fifth with four more runs, one earned, off Meagan Hendrix, who came on in relief of Wright in the second inning.
 
Portland State tallied three hits over the final three frames but was unable to get a runner past second base and fell 8-2 in the first game of the day.
 
Wright was tabbed with the loss after allowing four runs, three earned, in just one inning of work. She allowed five hits and walked one.
 
Flores and Celaya each went 2-for-3 in the game for the Vikings.
 
Game 2 – Portland State 7, Southern Utah 3
 
After falling behind 1-0 in the bottom of the first, the Vikings exploded for four runs in the top of the second. Craker singled to lead off the inning before Orozco doubled to move both runners in scoring position. After the next batter recorded an out, Masters tied the game with a sacrifice fly to left field, driving in Craker. Katherine Kramer singled to left field, driving in Orozco to put the Vikings up 2-1.
 
An infield single by Lindsey turned over the Vikings' lineup, brining Ashely Smith to the plate. Smith, who had a quiet first game, doubled to center field, driving in both Kramer and Lindsey to put PSU up 4-1.
 
Flores singled on the infield and moved to second on a throwing error by the third baseman to start the top of the third. Carrisosa came in to run for Flores and moved to third on a wild pitch. Either runner would have scored on Craker's fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot to left, which put the Vikings up 6-1. They tacked on an unearned run later in the inning to go up 7-1.
 
Southern Utah cut into the lead with a run in the bottom of the third off Burk, PSU's starting pitcher in game two. Neither team did anything over the next two and a half innings as the Vikings led 7-2 heading to the bottom of the sixth.
 
The Thunderbirds led off the bottom of the sixth with a single down the left field line. Two batters later, a two run home run cut the lead to 7-4. The next batter doubled down the left field line, forcing Burk from the game. Kristen Crawford, who threw the final 1 1/3 innings in game one, came on in relief again in game two. She recorded back-to-back outs to get out of the jam.
 
After Crawford walked the leadoff batter in the seventh, she got a ground out and back-to-back swinging strikeouts to end the game. Crawford threw three complete innings over the two games, allowing just one hit and one walk.
 
Burk earned the win after allowing four earned over 5 1/3 innings to improve to 3-3 on the season.
 
SUU's Jordan Theurer went 3-for-6 at the plate to lead the Thunderbirds. The two-way player also picked up the complete-game win in the first game of the day.
 
The Vikings will go for their first Big Sky series win of the season Saturday. The rubber-match is slated for a 12 p.m. MT first pitch.   
 
NOTES:
• SheaLee Lindsey went 4-for-4 in the game, tying the most hits by a Viking this season. She went 6-for-6 on the day.
• Lindsey is hitting .636 (7-for-11) in Big Sky Conference play.
• Kortney Craker hit her fourth home run of the season with a two-run shot in game two.
• Alyssa Burk picked up her team-best third win of the season in game two.