EUGENE, Ore. – For the fourth time this season, the Portland State softball team opened up the weekend with a split, falling in 10 innings to Loyola Marymount 9-8 before defeating Seattle 5-3 at Jane Anderson Stadium.
The Vikings move to 6-16 on the year with two more games scheduled for tomorrow in the final day of the Oregon Invite.
Emily Johansen led Portland State at the plate, collecting four hits on the day with five RBIs while hitting two home runs, bringing her season totals to eight homers and 25 RBIs.
GAME ONE: Loyola Marymount 9, Portland State 8 (10 innings)
The Vikings opened the day with a heartbreaker as the LMU rallied for four runs in the top of the seventh to force extra innings.
Portland State struck first as
Rachel Menlove hit a single up the middle to score
Marissa Bruno who led the inning off with a walk to give the Vikings a 1-0 lead in the first. Loyola Marymount answered back the next inning, hitting an RBI double to tie the game.
The Vikings added two runs in the third and fourth innings to go up 5-1 as Johansen hit her first homer of the day, a two-run shot to right field, while
Jessica Flanagan singled in the fourth to score
Grace Hosman followed by a double from Bruno.
Down 6-1 in the sixth after allowing a run on a fielding error, the Lions cut in the PSU's lead, scoring two runs off a single after leading the winning with a base hit and a double. The Vikings stretched the lead back to four runs in the bottom of the inning, as
Riley Casper doubled before Bruno singled to bring her home, taking a 7-4 advantage.
Two outs away from ending the game, Loyola Marymount began its run in the seventh, hitting back-to-back doubles before a fielding error got the Lions within two runs. After two walks, LMU scored on a sac-fly before a single to second base brought in the tying run.
Katie Schroeder started in the circle for PSU, giving up six runs off of nine hits while collecting six strikeouts.
Haley Schimmel tossed two innings of relief, allowing one run off of one hit.
The Lions took their first lead of the day in the ninth inning after a double scored the starting running from second base to go up 8-7. The Vikings extended the game in the bottom half of the inning when
Ashley Doyle singled up the middle to score Johansen. LMU scored the final run in the 10
th, leading off with a double to score the starting runner from second base.
PSU finished with 14 hits the game as Bruno and Doyle each collected three hits while Johansen and Flanagan finished with two apiece.
GAME TWO: Portland State 5, Seattle 3
After Bruno and
Darian Lindsey led off the first inning with a single and a walk respectively, the Vikings found themselves with another early lead and Johansen launched her second homer of the day, putting PSU up 3-0 in the first inning.
Seattle tallied its first run in the bottom of the second, hitting three straight singles with two outs in the inning to make it 3-1. The Vikings answered in the third as Bruno scored her second run of the day after a fielding error. Portland State earned its final run in the fourth as
Alexis Morrison led off with a double before advancing to third on a groundout by Doyle.
Ariana Abalos brought in the runner with a sac-fly to left field as the Vikings took a 5-1 lead.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Redhawks loaded the bases after leading off with back-to-back singles before forcing a walk. Seattle forced two more walks to make it 5-3 before strikeouts by
Olivia Grey ended the inning.
Schimmel started the game for the Vikings, throwing three innings while allowing three runs off of six hits. Grey earned the win, tossing four innings while giving up zero hits and tallying six strikeouts.
Heading into the sixth, play was forced to stop on account of rain, causing a delay of just over an hour before action could continue.
Seattle put the tying run on base in the bottom of the seventh inning after PSU gave up two more walks with one out. The Vikings held on to win, forcing ground outs for the final two outs.
The Vikings continue play at the Oregon Invite tomorrow with another doubleheader, facing Loyola Marymount again before taking on host Oregon.
