MISSOULA, Mont. – The Vikings and Grizzlies split the first two games of their three-game series Saturday afternoon in Missoula, Mont. Portland State took the first game, 6-3, before Montana walked off with a 3-2 win in game two. 
 
Portland State (13-30 overall, 6-7 Big Sky Conference) got a pair of outstanding pitching performances from pitchers Alyssa Burk and Emma Detamore. Each allowed just three runs while going the distance. 
 
The difference between game one and two was in the batter's box. The Vikings were able to come up with timely hits in game one but were unable to do so in game two. 
 
Portland State took an early 1-0 lead after plating an unearned run in the top of the first. Tayler Gunesch reached on a fielding error to lead off the game before moving to second on a sacrifice bunt from Darian Lindsey. She came in came to score on a double to right center by Kaela Morrow. 
 
The Vikings broke the game wide open with a four-run top of the third inning. Marissa Bruno led off the inning with a double to left. Gunesch put runners on the corners with a bunt single to third. After the next batter struck out, Gunesch stole second to put two runners in scoring position.
 
Morrow drove in Bruno from third on a ground out to second to make it a 2-0 game. Rachel Menlove made it 3-0 with an RBI single to left. Kortney Craker came up and drove in two with an opposite field triple to give the Vikings a 5-0 lead. 
 
After two scoreless innings, Montana (22-23, 8-6) got on the board with a two-run home run off Burk in the bottom of the third. After giving up the home run, Burk went back to work and got out of the inning with no more damage done. 
 
Burk stranded a pair of Montana runners on base in the fourth and fifth innings before working a six-pitch bottom of the sixth to send the game to the seventh with the Vikings still leading 5-2. 
 
Portland State scored an unearned insurance run in the top of the seventh to make it 6-2. 
 
Montana hit a two-out solo home run to make it 6-3 but that would be all Burk would allow in the inning as she closed out 13th complete game of the season for her ninth win. She allowed three earned runs on seven hits, walked one and struck out four. 
 
Montana struck first in game two with a run in the bottom of the second. After tallying just one hit in the first three innings, the Vikings evened the game with a run in the top of the fourth. Lindsey led off the inning with a double down the left field line. Three batters later, Alexis Morrison singled to right to drive in Lindsey from second. 
 
The game did not remain tied for long as the Grizzlies came right back with a run off Detamore in the bottom of the fourth to retake a one-run lead. 
 
The score remained the same heading to the top of the seventh. Menlove doubled to right to start the inning. Morrison then hit her first career triple to tie the game at 2-2. Portland State had a great opportunity to take the lead with Morrison standing on third and nobody out. Unfortunately, the next three batters recorded outs on just six pitches as the Grizzlies got out of the inning. 
 
Montana had a chance to walk off in the bottom of the seventh with a runner in scoring position and one out. Detamore induced a groundout for the second out. A hit by pitch and a walk loaded the bases before a fly ball to right got the Vikings out of the bases-loaded jam. 
 
After the Vikings went in order in the top of the eighth, Montana moved the game-winning run to third base on a sacrifice bunt for the first out. Detamore got a ground out to first for the second out. 
 
The next batter hit a little swinging bunt just to the right of Detamore for an infield single which allowed the runner from third to score to give the Grizzlies the 3-2 win. 
 
Detamore allowed just three earned runs on nine hits over a career-high 7 2/3 innings. She walked two and struck out two in the loss. 
 
The Vikings will go for the all-important series win in Sunday's rubber-match. First pitch is slated for 12 p.m. PT.