Hillsboro, Ore. – It was a tale of two games for Portland State Saturday night against the Southern Utah Thunderbirds. The Vikings had one of their best offensive games, winning 10-1 in five innings, but was then limited to just two hits in a 7-2 loss to drop the series two games to one.
 
Southern Utah (9-20 overall, 5-4 Big Sky Conference) opened game two of the series the same way it did in game one. The leadoff batter walked, stole second, and then moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. Two batters later, a single down the left field line scored the game's first run.
 
That would be the only run that freshman RHP Emma Detamore would allow in game one as she picked up her fourth win of the season. She allowed just the one run on two hits, walked two, and struck out three in the win.
 
Portland State (6-25, 4-5) came right out and plated four runs in the bottom of the first. Shae Nelson, Taylor Gunesch and Kortney Craker all singled to load the bases. Freshman Alexis Morrison doubled to the right-center gap, driving in both Nelson and Gunesch. The SUU second baseman bobbled the ball coming in from the outfield, which allowed Craker to score on the play to put PSU up 3-0. Kaela Morrow singled up the middle to put the Vikings up 4-0 at the end of the first.
 
SheaLee Lindsey led off the bottom of the second with a bunt single. After the next two batters recorded outs, Craker tripled down the right field line to drive in Lindsey. Morrison picked up her third RBI of the game with a single through the right side, driving in Craker to make it a 6-0 game. Morrison went from first to third on a single to right center from Morrow, which drove SUU's starting pitcher from the game.
 
Freshman Riley Casper hit a ground-rule double to deep right field to drive in Morrison and move Morrow to third. Celena Carrisosa walked to load the bases before a Korina Krueg walk drove in a run to make it 8-0. The next batter hit into a fielder's choice for the final out of the inning.
 
The Vikings plated two more runs in the fourth on a two-run single up the middle by Krueg to go up 10-1 heading to the top of the fifth.
 
Detamore set down the Thunderbirds in order in the fifth to earn her fourth win of the year.
 
Portland State hit .542 in the game, going 13-for-24 at the plate. They went 8-for-12 with runners in scoring position and 5-for-9 with two outs, including six two-out RBIs.
 
Things turned quickly for the Vikings at the plate in the second game of the day. Portland State was held without a hit until Gunesch singled on a bunt in the bottom of the fourth. By that time, the Vikings found themselves already down 5-0 in the game.
 
Southern Utah scored two runs in the top of the third on a two-run home run off PSU starting pitcher Alyssa Burk. The Thunderbirds plated three more runs off Burk in the top of the fourth, all with two outs. SUU added another run in the top of the fifth with a solo home run off Detamore who came into the game in the fourth to get the final out of the inning.
 
Krueg and Lindsey both walked and scored on Shae Nelson's two-run triple down the right field line in the bottom of the fifth to make it 6-2. After Gunesch walked to put two runners on, Craker grounded out to short on the first pitch she saw for the final out of the inning.
 
Southern Utah added an unearned run in the top of the seventh to go up 7-2. The Vikings went in order in the bottom of the seventh to drop the series finale.

Portland State will hit the road next week for a three-game series at Weber State. The series will begin with a doubleheader on Friday, April 14 at 12 p.m. PT.