TEMPE, Ariz. – Playing its third ranked team in three days, the Portland State softball team closed out the Kajikawa Classic, falling to 14^th-ranked Northwestern 8-3 on Sunday morning.
 
The loss moves the Vikings to 1-4 on the season while the Wildcats leave the tournament with a 2-3 record.
 
Portland State made some noise early in the first inning as Marissa Bruno and Darian Lindsey both singled. With runners on second and third with two outs, Northwestern found a much needed strikeout to end the inning and keep the Vikings off the scoreboard.
 
The Wildcats took an early 2-0 lead in the second inning, hitting a two-RBI double with two outs after a hit by pitch and a single up the middle put runners on the bases.
 
PSU found a quick answer in the top of the third as Lindsey reached base on a fielding error before advancing to second. With two outs, Rachel Menlove drove in the first run with a single to right center to bring the Vikings within one.
 
Lindsey led the Vikings with two hits, an RBI and a run scored, recording her second multi-hit game of the season.
 
Northwestern opened things in the bottom of the third inning, hitting two home runs including a two-run shot to left field before scoring on a sac fly followed by an RBI single and a wild pitch to go up 8-1.
 
Olivia Grey started in the circle for PSU, tossing 3.1 innings while giving up only one hit and totaling four strikeouts. Also pitching was Marisol Gaona (two IP, six hits, five runs) and Haley Schimmel (.2 IP, two hits, three runs).
 
The Vikings put together a late rally in the seventh as Grace Hosman led off with a single before Jessica Flanagan singled up the middle to put two on with no outs. Riley Casper got on base on a fielder's choice as Tayler Gunesch singled to score Flanagan for the Vikings' second run.
 
With runners on first and second, Bruno forced a walk to load the bases while Lindsey drove in the third run of the day with a single down the third base line. With the score now 8-3, Northwestern picked up a quick strikeout before a ground out ended the game.
 
The Vikings will continue tournament play next weekend as they travel to the Golden State Classic for another five-game stint, this time playing in Lake Elsinore, Calif., Feb. 14-16.
 
KAJIKAWA CLASSIC HIGHLIGHTS:
-Vikings picked up a win in the first game of the season, beating Western Michigan in five innings 13-2.
-Darian Lindsey finished the tournament batting .333 with five hits, four runs scored and six RBIs. She hit a two-run homer against Arizona.
-Emily Johansen hit her first career home run, a four-run blast against Western Michigan.
-Olivia Grey totaled 14 strikeouts in 11.2 innings pitched.