EL PASO, Texas – The Vikings got out to an early lead but late home runs by UTEP led the Miners to an 8-4 win to close out action at the UTEP Tournament Sunday morning in El Paso, Texas.
 
Portland State (2-7 overall) took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning. The Vikings were able to take advantage of an error and a wild pitch to plate a pair of runs. The Miners closed the gap with a run in the bottom of the inning off PSU starter Emma Detamore.
 
Darian Lindsey made it a 3-0 game with a leadoff home run to right field. It was her third home run of the season and the second in the last three games. Kaela Morow walked and then stole second to put another runner in scoring position. Two batters later, Kortney Craker drove in Morrow with a double to center to put the Vikings up 4-1.
 
UTEP plated four runs off Detamore, including a three-run home run to right field, to take the lead for the first time at 5-4. Serafine Parrish came on in relief and got the next two batters to get out of the inning.
 
After a leadoff double by the Miners in the bottom of the fifth, the next batter flied out to Marissa Bruno in right field. The runner attempted to tag but left early and the Vikings were able to win the appeal for the second out. It saved the Vikings a run as the next batter singled to right. A walk and a fielding error loaded the bases with two outs for Parrish. She came back from a 3-0 deficit to the next batter for a looking strikeout to end the inning.  
 
Parrish gave up three runs, two earned, in the bottom of the sixth as the Miners took an 8-4 lead heading to the seventh.
 
The Vikings got a runner in scoring position in the seventh but could not plate another run, falling 8-4.
 
Portland State tallied 10 hits in the game but left nine runners on base. The Vikings went a combined 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position.
 
Riley Casper picked up her first career multi-hit game, going 3-for-3 with a run scored. Lindsey recorded her second multi-hit game, going 2-for-3 with a run scored and a run batted in. Craker went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
 
Detamore was tabbed with the loss. She allowed five runs, four earned, on seven hits over 3 1/3 innings. She walked three and struck out one.
 
The Vikings will hit the road again next week for a challenging weekend at the University of Washington. Portland State will face a pair of top 10 teams in No. 1 Washington and No. 10 Alabama. PSU will also face Northwestern twice and BYU once.