LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Vikings pick up their second win of the season with a split on the final day of the 2017 Rebel Classic hosted by UNLV in Las Vegas, Nev. Portland State opened the day with a 10-2 loss in five innings to Southern Illinois before defeating UNLV, 8-6, in their tournament finale.
 
After the Vikings dropped their first game of the day to Southern Illinois, they got back into the win column against the Rebels. The Vikings come close to defeating UNLV Saturday but a six-run first inning was too much to overcome.
 
Portland State plated four runs in the top of the first inning to take an early lead. The Vikings loaded the bases in the top of the first with two outs. Riley Casper doubled to right field to bring in two runs to make it a 2-0 game. Alexxis Ponce singled to right field to bring in another run. The Vikings then picked up their fourth run on an error to make it a 4-0 game.
 
The Rebels picked up three runs in the bottom half of the inning on a three-run home run off Portland State starting pitcher Emma Detamore. After three scoreless innings, UNLV plated to two unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 5-4 lead heading to the sixth inning.
 
The Vikings came right back and scored three runs in the top of the sixth to retake the lead. Mariah Gonzalez led off the inning with a single to right field before being lifted for pinch hitter Marissa Bruno.
 
After the next batter recorded an out, Shae Nelson singled to center to put two runners on. Tayler Gunesch doubled to left field bringing in both Bruno and Nelson to put the Vikings up 6-5. Kortney Craker then singled to right field, driving in Gunesch to give the Vikings a two-run lead at 7-5.
 
UNLV added another unearned run to pull within a run heading into the seventh inning.
 
With two outs Hannah Self was hit by a pitch before being lifted for SheaLee Lindsey on the base paths. Nelson doubled in Lindsey to give the Vikings an insurance run, putting them up 8-6.
 
Detamore looking to close out her second complete game of the year, worked her way around a single in the bottom of the seventh to secure her first career win.
 
Detamore allowed six runs, three earned over seven innings. She walked two and struck out one to earn her first win of the year.
 
The win against UNLV marked the first time this season, and the first time since 2015, that the Vikings came back to win after trailing at the end of the fifth inning.
 
Craker went 3-for-8 on the day with her first home run of the season against SIU. She scored a run and drove in three.
 
Nelson went 4-for-8 with two runs scored between the two games. She leads the team with a .377 batting average on the year with a team-high 23 hits and nine runs scored. She is second on the team with seven runs driven in on the year.
 
The Portland State will open Big Sky Conference play with a three-game set against the Idaho State Bengals March 25-26 in Pocatello.