HILLSBORO – The Vikings dropped a windy and soggy series opener to Southern Utah, 6-4, Friday afternoon at the Gordon Faber Recreation Complex in Hillsboro, Ore.
 
The Vikings and Thunderbirds were slated to play two on Friday but the weather, coupled with a 3:17 rain delay, forced the teams to play just one on Friday. They will play two Saturday evening beginning at 5 p.m. PT.
 
Southern Utah (8-19 overall, 4-3 Big Sky Conference) struck first with a manufactured run in the top of the first. The leadoff batter walked, stole second, and then moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. She came in to score on a sacrifice fly to center field to make it a 1-0 game.
 
Portland State (5-24, 3-4) manufactured a run of its own in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at 1-1. Korina Krueg doubled to left-center before a walk and a hit by pitch loaded the bases with one out. Alexis Morrison hit a sacrifice fly to right field for the second out, bringing in Krueg from third to tie the game.
 
Another hit batter reloaded the bases with two outs. Mariah Gonzalez laced a ball toward the right-center gap but the SUU right fielder tracked it down for the final out.
 
After a scoreless second inning, the game went into a 3:17 rain delay in the top of the third inning due to heavy rain and strong winds. When play resumed, SUU took the lead with an RBI fielder's choice to take a 2-1 lead.
 
The score remained the same as the game moved into the bottom of the fifth. The Vikings loaded the bases with no outs. Katherine Kramer drove in a run on a groundout to second. Pinch hitter Hannah Self drove in another run with a groundout to third to give the Vikings a 3-2 lead. Celena Carrisosa singled up the middle, driving in Morrison from third to make it a 4-2 game.
 
The lead did not last long as the Thunderbirds plated four runs in the top of the sixth inning off PSU starting pitcher Emma Detamore to take a 6-4 lead. Detamore gave up six earned runs on nine hits over 5 2/3 innings in the losing effort. She threw 123 pitches, going to a lot of full counts. She walked five and struck out seven in the game. Alyssa Burk came on in relief in the sixth and got the final out of the inning.
 
Three quick groundouts by the Vikings in the bottom of the sixth moved the game to the seventh. Burk worked around a two-out doubled to left in the top of the inning before getting the next batter to pop out to Craker at first for the final out.
 
The Vikings got a runner on with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, bringing the tying run to the plate. Unfortunately, the next batter fouled out to end the game.
 
Portland State tallied five hits in the game, all coming in the fourth and fifth innings. The Vikings stranded nine runners on base after going 2-for-10 with runners on and 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
 
The Vikings are slated for two more games against the Thunderbirds Saturday, April 8 beginning at 5 p.m. PT.