HONOLULU – The Portland State softball team struggled offensively on day three of the Hawaii Invitational, falling to Kansas City 3-2 and Iowa 8-0 in six innings on Saturday at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
The Vikings fall to 3-11 on the season, still looking for their first win of the tournament. Iowa improves to 10-2, picking up its second win over Portland State.
Alexis Morrison finished the day with two hits and a walk, including a two-RBI home run while two other Vikings combined for two hits on the day.
GAME ONE: Kansas City 3, Portland State 2
The Vikings began the day with a defensive battle against Kansas City. The Roos took an early lead after hitting a sac-fly in the first inning for their first score of the game.
Kansas City added to their lead in the third, hitting a solo home run to left-center field. Later in the inning, an RBI single to third base gave the Roos a 3-0 lead.
In the fourth,
Darian Lindsey hit a single through the left side before
Emily Johansen reached base safely on a fielder's choice. Morrison got the Vikings on the board with her first home run of the season, a two-run blast to left field.
Katie Schroeder started in the circle for the Vikings, tossing 2.1 innings, giving up two runs off of four hits, and tallied three strikeouts. Also pitching was
Olivia Grey who finished 4.2 innings of work with three hits, five walks, and three strikeouts.
Portland State made some noise in the seventh as
Grace Hosman came in as a pinch hitter, leading off with a single up the middle. She advanced to second on a sac bunt by
Riley Casper before
Marissa Bruno forced a walk to put two on with two outs, but the Vikings couldn't convert, hitting into a fielder's choice for the final out.
GAME TWO: Iowa 8, Portland State 0 (6)
Portland State's bats went quiet in game two, recording only two hits while the Hawkeyes picked up where they left off last night, tallying eight runs off of 13 hits.
Iowa scored two runs in the opening inning, both coming off RBI singles while a fielder's choice in the second gave the Hawkeyes a 3-0 advantage. In the bottom of the third, Iowa scored on a throwing error while a two-RBI double in the fourth made it 6-0.
Serafine Parrish started for PSU, throwing four innings with three earned runs off of nine hits with one strikeout.
Haley Schimmel also pitched, throwing 1.1 innings with four hits, two runs, and a strikeout.
Hosman and Bruno each recorded a hit in the game while Morrison and
Rachel Menlove earned a walk.
Iowa scored its final two runs in the sixth, coming off a double and a single to end the game in six innings.
The Vikings return for the final day of the invitational tomorrow afternoon, playing their second contest against Hawaii at 4 p.m. PT.
