RIVERSIDE, Calif. - The Portland State softball team kicked off its 2022 campaign in an impressive fashion on Friday, scoring 28 runs over two games to begin the year with back-to-back run-rule victories. The Vikings defeated Utah Valley 14-1 before sinking Pacific (Calif.) 14-3 in game two of the Lynn Russell Miller Classic.

The Viking's offense was nothing short of spectacular through ten innings of action as they finished the opening day of the season, hitting .518, recording 29 hits and scoring at least one run in nine of those ten innings.  

They allowed their bats to set the tone early against Utah Valley, jumping out to a quick 3-0 lead in the top of the first before adding five more runs in the second. In their third at-bat, the Vikings notched four runs on four hits to go ahead 12-1 before adding a pair of runs in the top half of the fifth. The Wolverines were unable to cut into the lead in their final at-bat as the Vikings clinched the run-rule win. 

Olivia Grey earned the win in the circle for PSU. The junior allowed just three hits through four innings before Marisol Gaona closed things down for the Vikings in the bottom of the fifth.

The Vikings offense combined for 16 hits against UVU's pitching staff. Maddie Thompson was stellar in the leadoff spot, going a career-high 4-for-5 at the plate. Logan Riggenbach and Olivia Dean weren't far behind, adding three hits each. Dean led the way with four RBIs while four other Vikings had at least two in the contest.

Pacific took an early 3-0 lead in the opening inning of game two, presenting Portland State's offense with an opportunity to respond. The Vikings did just that. After cutting the lead to one, freshman Kiara McCrea put PSU on top in the bottom of the second with a 2-RBI double to left-center field. McCrea struck again in the bottom of the third, knocking a bases-clearing double to give the Vikings an 8-3 lead.

Portland State broke things open an inning later, pouring on six more runs en route to the five-inning, 14-3 victory.

McCrea went 4-for-4 against the Tigers while racking up six RBIs. Fellow freshman Natalia Martinez added two hits and three RBIs in the win.

Sophomore Allicitie Frost earned the victory on the rubber, pitching a full five innings while allowing just three hits. The Viking's pitching staff gave up just seven hits on the day, holding their opponents to a .189 batting average.

Portland State will look to add a pair of wins to its total tomorrow when they take on Pacific (9 a.m.) and UC Riverside (2 p.m.) on day two of the Lynn Russell Miller Classic.