TEMPE, Ariz. – The Portland State softball team closed out day two of the Kajikawa Classic, falling to two Pac-12 programs as No. 5 Arizona won 6-3 in game one while Utah held off the Vikings in game two, 4-0 on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Vikings (1-3) turned in a strong effort against the Wildcats but struggled to get the offense going against the Utes as they dropped their third straight game against a Pac-12 opponent.
 
Darian Lindsey highlighted the Vikings on the day, recording a two-run home run against Arizona while totaling three RBIs on the day.
 
GAME ONE: # 5 Arizona 6, Portland State 3
Portland State bounced back from a tough loss against Arizona State last night, putting together a strong defensive showing against the fifth-ranked Wildcats. Arizona jumped ahead early in the first inning, scoring three runs with an RBI single down the right field line followed by a two-run homer to end the inning.
 
The Vikings didn't blink against one of the top pitching staffs in the Pac-12, answering immediately in the bottom of the first as Hannah Sisul doubled down the left field line before Lindsey crushed a ball over left field to make the score 3-2 with her first homer of the season.
 
Parrish settled down in the circle, retiring five of the next seven batters. Heading into the bottom of the third, Riley Casper led off the home half of the third with a single to left field before Lindsey brought in her third run of the day, singling up the middle to tie the game 3-3.
 
The Wildcats regained the lead in the fourth, starting the inning with a single before another shot over the fence made it 5-3. Arizona followed that up with a lead-off double in the sixth, eventually scoring to go up 6-3.
 
Lindsey led PSU with two hits while Parrish pitched a complete game, tossing seven innings while giving up six runs off of 11 hits with two strikeouts.
 
GAME TWO: UTAH 4, PORTLAND STATE 0
The Vikings struggled to find offense in game two for the second straight day, tallying only three hits against the Utes.
 
After two scoreless innings, Utah finally broke the tie as Haley Denning got on base with a lead-off walk before eventually scoring on a throwing error to go up 1-0.
 
Portland State gave up two more runs in the fourth, but it could have been much worse as the Vikings got out of a difficult spot. With zero outs and the bases loaded, PSU closed out the inning with a strikeout, a force out at home, and a groundout to keep the game close at 3-0.
 
Olivia Grey and Katie Schroeder split time in the circle with Grey pitching four innings with three runs off of four hits and five strikeouts while Schroeder tossed three innings with one run, four hits, and two strikeouts.
 
Utah's pitching kept the Vikings off the scoreboard, forcing 17 ground outs while ending the game with a double-play to improve to 3-0 on the weekend.
 
The Vikings return to action tomorrow morning as they close out the Kajikawa Classic against 14^th-ranked Northwestern at 8 a.m. PT.
 
KAJIKAWA CLASSIC QUICK HITS:
-Darian Lindsey showed her dual-threat, highlighting the Vikings in the field with three putouts and four assists against while bringing in three runs against Arizona, including a two-run homer.
-Serafine Parrish pitched a complete game in her first start of the season.
-Alexxis Ponce hit a strong double to right center against Utah.
-Darian Lindsey now has five RBIs on the weekend, tied with Emily Johansen for most on the squad.