HILLSBORO – The Portland State softball team opened Big Sky action on Saturday, dropping back-to-back games to Montana.
The Grizzlies edged out the Vikings 2-1 in the first game before finding their groove offensively in game two, dropping the Vikings in six innings 10-1.
Allicitie Frost got the start in game one for Portland State. The true freshman tossed 4.2 innings, holding Montana to just one earned run. Frost gave up the first run of the game in the fifth inning before Serafine Parrish took over.
Parrish and the Vikings found themselves in a sixth-inning jam that led to a third pitching change as Katie Schroeder made her first appearance of the day. The Grizzlies managed to score one more run before Schroeder escaped the jam.
Rachel Menlove cut into Montana's lead with an RBI double in the bottom of the sixth, bringing Tayler Gunesch around from first base. The Grizzlies buckled down and retired the next two batters to end the Viking threat.
With runners in scoring position, PSU was unable to bring across the tying run in the final frame as Montana locked in the win at 2-1.
Menlove ended the game with a team-high two hits while Mariah Rodriguez and Gunesch notched the other hits for Portland State.
Carrying a hot bat into game two, Menlove was the lone Viking to put a run on the board in, slamming an RBI single to score Marissa Bruno in the opening inning of play.
The top of the third was the difference-maker for Montana as they used four hits to score six runs, taking a commanding 7-1 lead over the Vikings. PSU battled in the innings to follow, seeing multiple opportunities with runners in scoring position but failing to cash in.
Montana added a trio of runs in the sixth before shutting down the Vikings in the bottom half of the inning en route to a 10-1 run-rule victory.
Olivia Grey took the loss in the circle while six different Vikings tallied hits. Menlove led the Vikings on the day going 3-4 with 2 RBI. Fresh off an injury, Gunsech saw her first two starts of the season going 2-6 at the plate.
In a game originally scheduled for noon on Sunday, the series finale has been moved up one hour to 11 a.m. on Sunday at Gordon Faber Field 4.
