SEATTLE, Wash. – The Portland State softball team fell to Seattle 6-5 in an elimination game at the NCAA Regionals on Saturday.
 
PSU ended the season 15-26 overall and 4-2 in postseason play.
 
The Vikings took the first lead of the day in the top of the first. A Redhawk error and a drawn walk by Olivia Dean brought in a pair of runs after they loaded the bases to begin the inning.
 
Seattle cut into the Vikings' lead scoring one run in the bottom of the first and eventually tied things at two after bringing another across in the third.
 
Viking freshman Paetynn Lopez drove in Marissa Bruno to give PSU a 3-2 lead in the top of the fifth but the Redhawks were quick to respond. They answered with a five-hit four-run fifth inning to take the biggest lead of the day at 6-3.
 
With one runner on base and her team trailing by three, the Vikings called on Hannah Bell to provide a spark for the offense. The senior did just that, belting her first career home run over the left field wall to score Tayler Gunesch and cut the Seattle lead to one.
 
After Katie Schroder held Seattle scoreless in the bottom of the sixth, the Vikings were unable to find late-inning magic in the final frame. The Redhawk defense pulled off a three up three down seventh inning to clinch the 6-5 victory.
 
Olivia Grey took the loss in the circle for the Vikings as she ended her freshman campaign with an 8-8 record. Schroeder, a redshirt senior finished her collegiate career tossing the final two innings for PSU.
 
Marissa Bruno led the offense with two hits, ending her historic season with a team-high .396 batting average.
 
The Vikings will head back to Portland with their heads held high after a Cinderella postseason run. PSU made history as the first five-seed to win the Big Sky Tournament and appeared in the program's first NCAA Regional since 2013.