LEESBURG, Fla. — The 2023 Portland State softball season opened in familiar territory. Olivia Grey was dealing form the circle, and the Viking offense pushed eight across to wrap up an 8-0 win over Colgate in five innings at The Spring Games tournament.
 
If you were Rip Van Winkle and had been sleeping since last spring, you'd think you'd have only napped for 20 minutes.
 
And while the Vikings (1-1) dropped their second game of the day – an 8-1 loss to Marshall – it was a sign of the strengths that will stay constant for the Vikings throughout the 2023 season.
 
"Despite the loss [in the second game], there were so many small victories and learning moments, all leaving a hunger for something more. It's a good place to start," Portland State head softball coach Meadow McWhorter said at the end of the day.
 
Game 1: Portland State 8, Colgate 0
 
As much as Grey picked up where she left off with a one-hit shutout of the Colgate Raiders, Logan Riggenbach may have had the most seamless transition to the 2023 season. An All-Big Sky first-team selection a year ago after leading the Vikings with a .380 batting average and 41 RBI, she hit a two-run home run on her opening at bat of the season. That put the Vikings up 2-0 in the bottom of the first, and the Vikings didn't look back from there.
 
Colgate's lone hit came via a leadoff single in the top of the second, and Grey immediately followed it with three straight strikeouts. The Vikings added another run on an RBI groundout in the bottom half of the inning, then tacked on four more two innings later to go up 7-0.
 
Neveah Smith scored the first run of the top of the fourth after Maddie Thompson reached on an error. The Raiders struck out the next batter, then opted to load the bases by walking Riggenbach. Paetynn Lopez followed with a two-out, two-RBI single, forcing a pitching change for the Raiders. The new pitcher hit Allicitie Frost, then walked Trinity Holden to bring home Riggenbach for the third run of the inning. A line out ended the inning after that.
 
The Vikings closed the door the following inning. Shea Garcia and Alexa Cepeda walked and singled to open the bottom of the fifth. A wild pitch then saw them advance, and Garcia came around on a throwing error from the catcher.
 
Colgate never threatened against Grey and the Viking defense. Grey allowed only four base runners, none of whom made it past first base. The Raiders tried to push a runner to second with a stolen base attempt in the top of the fourth, but Lopez threw them out.
 
"It was a complete team win. Execution in the circle and at the plate," McWhorter said of the victory. "I am proud of the team's effort right out of the gate. It's who we are, and how this team operates at its peak."
 
Grey struck out six of the 18 batters she faced in her five innings of work. Cepeda went a perfect 3-of-3 from the plate. All nine Vikings reached base at least once, while seven different Vikings scored a run.
 
Game 2: Marshall 8, Portland State 1
 
The Vikings took an early lead in their second game of the day, too, but couldn't hold on from there. An unearned run put the Vikings up 1-0 in the top of the third, but The Herd responded with a five-run bottom of the fourth. All five runs were unearned, as an error with two outs extended the inning.
 
An RBI double in the bottom of the next inning extended it to a 6-1 lead, while The Herd added two more on a two-RBI single in the bottom of the sixth.
 
The Vikings tried to rally back with leadoff singles in the top of the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, but couldn't ever push a run across. Only once, out of those three innings, did the runner make it past first base.
 
A highlight for the Vikings despite the loss was the return of Bailey Rose to the circle. The redshirt sophomore had gone 630 days between appearances for the Vikings, but started the game against Marshall and threw three shutout innings in her return.
 
"It's been a journey for Bailey to get to this moment. I am so proud of her for her perseverance, belief, commitment to her rehabilitation and her growth as a pitcher. She was deserving of such a quality first outing," McWhorter said of Rose.
 
The Vikings return to Sleepy Hollow Sports Complex for two more Saturday. They'll open the day against Minnesota at 8 a.m. PT / 11 a.m. ET, then follow with a game against Butler at approximately 10:30 a.m. PT / 1:30 p.m. ET.