OGDEN, Utah – Senior Brianna Celaya set the Portland State postseason single-game record for hits and RBIs in the Vikings' 14-8 loss to the Montana Grizzlies Friday morning at the 2016 Big Sky Conference Championship presented by Red Lion® Hotels in Ogden, Utah.
 
Celaya matched her career high with four hits in the game, going 4-for-5, and set a new career high in RBIs with four against the Grizzlies. Her four hits were also the most by any player in a single game in Big Sky Conference Championship history.
 
Celaya drove in two runs in the bottom of the first with a double to center field. She drove in another run with an RBI single in the bottom of the second. After a single in the fourth, Celaya hit her team-leading fifth home run of the season, a solo shot, over the left field fence in the sixth.
 
Celaya, along with SheaLee Lindsey, also tied the Portland State postseason single-game record for runs scored in a game with two each.
 
As a team, the Vikings set a program record for hits in a single postseason game with a season-high 17 hits, surpassing the previous record of 12 set against Loyola Marymount in the 2011 Pacific Coast Softball Conference Championship Series.
 
Montana got off to a hot start plating four runs on five straight hits before the Vikings were able to record an out. Freshman Alyssa Burk was able to come in from the bullpen and shut down Montana and get out of the inning trailing by just four runs.
 
Finding themselves in a four-run hole, the Vikings rallied with four runs of their own in the bottom of the first to tie the game. For the second straight game, Lindsey led off with a hit for the Vikings. After Lindsey stole second, Shae Nelson moved her to third with a hit through the right side.
 
Senior Candice Orozco walked to load the bases for Celaya. Celaya doubled off the center field fence, driving in Lindsey and Nelson to cut the lead in half. After a Montana pitching change and the first out of the inning, Melissa Masters singled through the right side to drive in Orozco and Celaya to tie the game at 4-4.

Kortney Craker singled to center to put two runners on with one out. After the next batter popped out on the infield, Celena Carrisosa singled to left field. Masters tried to score from second on the play but was thrown at the plate for the final out of the inning.
 
Burk walked a 4-foot-11 Montana batter to lead off the top of the second but then recorded three-straight outs for a scoreless top of the second.
 
The Vikings took the lead in the bottom of the frame on Celaya's second hit of the day. Lindsey led off the inning with a Baltimore-Chop single to the third baseman. Nelson dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Lindsey to second and reached on a fielding error.
 
Celaya then singled through the right side to bring in Lindsey and put the Vikings up 5-4. The Vikings stranded a pair of runners on base but they had taken the lead.  
 
Burk allowed a slow rolling base hit up the middle in the top of the third but that was it with another scoreless inning in the book.
 
The Vikings threatened in the bottom of the third but ended up stranding a runner on third base. Burk followed that with her third scoreless inning, leaving two in scoring position.
 
Burk began to struggle with her control in the top of the fifth and walked the bases loaded. A single to left scored two runs, giving Montana back the lead at 6-5. The hit drove Burk from the game and brought Kristen Crawford in to pitch.
 
Crawford also struggled with her control and gave up three more runs, all earned, on one hit, three walks, and a hit batter. She was lifted for Hendrix who got out of the inning but the damage was done. The Grizzlies plated seven runs in the inning to take an 11-5 lead.
 
The Vikings got a run back in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI single by Nelson to make it an 11-6 game.
 
After Montana plated three more in the top of the sixth to go up 14-6, Celaya picked up her fourth hit of the day with a solo home run to left field. Two batters later, Masters doubled and was driven in by a double by Craker to make the score 14-8 heading to the final inning.
 
The Vikings got two runners on in the bottom of the seventh but could not push any more runs across the plate, falling by the final six-run margin.
 
Five Vikings recorded multiple-hit games, led by Celaya's four hits. Nelson went 3-for-4 with a run scored, RBI, and a double in the game. Craker went 3-for-4 with a RBI and a double. Masters went 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBIs while Lindsey tallied a pair of hits and scored twice.
 
Burk picked up the loss after allowing four earned runs on three hits over 4 1/3 innings. She walked five and struck out three. She fell to 3-5 on the season with the loss.
 
Montana improved to 29-26 overall on the season with the win, while Portland State fell to 14-35 with the loss.
 
NOTES
• Brianna Celaya set the PSU record for hits in a single postseason game (4).
• Celaya set the PSU record for RBIs in a single postseason game (4).
• Celaya set the Big Sky record for hits in a single Big Sky Tournament game (4).
• SheaLee Lindsey and Celaya tied the PSU record for runs scored in a single postseason game (2).
• Portland State set the program record for hits in a single postseason game (17).
• Portland State recorded a season-high 17 hits in the game.