HILLSBORO, Ore. – The Vikings and Bengals split the first two games of their three-game set Friday afternoon at the Gordon Faber Recreation Complex in Hillsboro, Ore. Portland State took the first game, 2-1, in 10 innings before Idaho State evened the series with a 5-4 win in game two.
 
JR RHP Alyssa Burk was outstanding over the two games. She matched her career high in innings pitched after going the distance in the Vikings' 10-inning win in game one. She allowed one earned on three hits. She walked two and struck out 13 batters, one shy of her career high. Burk came on in relief in game two and inherited a bases-loaded situation. She inducing a fly ball to get out of the inning. She then added another scoreless inning to give the Vikings a chance in game two.
 
Burk is 5-8 overall on the season after the win in game one with a 4.15 earned run average. Her ERA has decreased dramatically in Big Sky Conference play. She has allowed just 10 earned runs over 26 1/3 innings for a 2.66 ERA in league play.
 
Portland State hit well enough to take both games but came up short in big moments late in game two. Five Vikings tallied multiple hits over the two games including Rachel Menlove, Riley Casper, and Kaela Morrow who each tallied three hits apiece.
 
Menlove went 3-for-6 with a run scored over the two games. She doubled and drove in the Vikings first run in game one on a sacrifice fly. She then blasted her fifth home run of the season to left field with the wind blowing straight in in game two.
 
Game one was a pitching duel from be very start. The Vikings had a runner on in each of the first five innings but could not plate a run off ISU starting pitcher Ashlyn Ames. The Vikings finally broke the scoreless tie with a run in the sixth. Morrow led off the bottom of the inning with a low line drive to right field. The ball got past the Bengals' right fielder to give Morrow the stand-up triple. Menlove then flied out to right to drive in Morrow and the Vikings led 1-0.
 
With the way Burk was pitching it looked like the Vikings gave her just enough run support heading to the top of the seventh. Burk had allowed just three base runners, two walks and a leadoff single in the fourth, over the first six innings. After getting the first batter out in the seventh, Burk hung a pitch over the plate and ISU's Frankie Tago tied the game at 1-1 with a solo home run to left field.
 
Burk quickly put the home run behind her and struck out the next two batters to get out of the inning. Burk threw a scoreless eighth and ninth innings before giving up just her third hit of the game in the top of the 10th. The runner stole second but Burk closed out the inning with three-consecutive swinging strikeouts to end the threat. The finished the game with 13 strikeouts, one shy of her career high, for her third double-digit strikeout game of the year.
 
With one out in the bottom of the 10th, Morrow singled to third to put one runner on. Menlove singled to right to put two runners on base with one out. Morrow moved to third when the next batter reached on a fielder's choice. Menlove was thrown out at second on the play for the second out. Kortney Craker then grounded the ball back to Ames who threw to first for the would-be inning-ending out. She threw the ball in the dirt right at the first baseman's feet which allowed Craker to reach safely and Morrow to come in to score to the game-winning run as the Vikings took game one 2-1 in dramatic fashion.
 
Idaho State took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning of game two on an unearned run. After a scoreless second, the Vikings took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the third. After loading the bases with one out, Morrow singled in a run to tie the game. Menlove then hit her second sacrifice fly of the day to dive in another run to put the Vikings up 2-1.
 
Portland State added a run in the bottom of the fourth to go up 3-1. Casper doubled to left with two outs before Sydnee Machado drove in her first career run with a single to right.
 
Idaho State pulled within one with a run in the top of the fifth to make it 3-2. Menlove blasted her fifth home run of the season to left field to once again put the Vikings up two at 4-2.
 
Emma Detamore had held the Bengals to just two runs on three hits over the first five innings before getting into trouble in the sixth. She got the first batter of the sixth to fly out to center for the first out. A walk and a single put runners on first and second. A single to center drove in a run and drove Detamore from the game.

Serafine Parrish came on in relief but struggled to find the strike zone. She gave up an RBI single and an RBI sacrifice fly to as the Bengals took a 5-4 lead. After Parrish walked the next two batters to load the bases, Burk came on in relief and induced a pop out to third for the final out.
 
The Vikings had a perfect opportunity to tie the game, or take the lead, in the bottom of the sixth after the first two batters of the inning worked walks. After failing to get a sacrifice bunt down, the next batter grounded into a double play. The Vikings now had a runner on third and two outs. The next batter struck out looking to end the scoring opportunity.
 
After Burk worked a 1-2-3 top of the third thanks to a double-play, but the Vikings went in order in the bottom of the seventh to fall 5-4. The Vikings were outscored 4-1 from the fifth inning on.
 
The Vikings will go for the series win in Saturday's rubber match. First pitch is slated for 12 p.m. PT.