POCATELLO, Idaho – The Portland State softball team tallied eighteen hits, including six home runs on its way to a doubleheader split with Idaho State on Friday. The Vikings cruised to an 11-1 run-rule victory in the opening game before falling in the nightcap, 8-5.

The Vikings are now 25-16 on the season and 9-5 in Big Sky play, while the Bengals moved to 23-22 and 7-7 in conference play.

PSU poured on the runs in game one, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the third. An inning later, the offense blew things open, scoring four runs on five hits to extend their lead to eight. A trio of home runs from Emily Johansen, Paetynn Lopez, and Mariah Rodriguez put the icing on the cake for the Vikings in the top of the fifth. The Bengals added one in their final at-bat before Olivia Grey, and the Vikings walked away with the 11-1 win.  

Grey was stellar on the rubber, allowing just two hits while striking out seven.

A pair of long balls from Johansen highlighted game two. The Junior put the Vikings on top with a two-run home run in the top of the first before extending the lead to four an inning later with her third shot of the day. Riggenbach took one yard in the same inning, giving the Vikings a 5-0 advantage.   

The Bengals rallied back, posting four runs in the second before knotting the game at five in the third. After scoring three runs in the fifth, the Bengals held the Vikings scoreless for the remainder of the game to secure the 8-5 win.

Allicitie Frost took the loss in the circle, tossing 4.1 innings before Mairsol Gaona took over in the fifth.

Logan Riggenbach led the Vikings with five hits on the day. Johansen had a team-high six RBIs over two games.

The Vikings will look to clinch the series with a win on Saturday at 11 a.m. in Pocatello.