HILLSBORO, Ore. – The Portland State softball team lost its first game of a doubleheader against Idaho State before rolling to a 10-3 victory in the nightcap on Friday at Gordon Faber Field. The Vikings improved to 14-19 overall and 5-3 in conference action, while the Bengals moved to 11-20 overall and 3-2 in Big Sky play.
The Bengals scored first in the series opener, taking a 1-0 lead in their opening at-bat. Small ball allowed the Vikings to tie the game in the bottom of the first as Paetynn Lopez scored Olivia Dean with a perfectly executed squeeze bunt. A few plays later, a sacrifice fly from Trinity Holden gave the Vikings their first lead of the day.
Idaho State tied the game at two in the second frame before taking a 4-2 lead in the third. Emily Johansen cut the deficit to one in the bottom of the third, blasting her fifth home run of the season to make it 4-3. The Bengals held the Vikings scoreless for the remainder of the contest while adding four more runs to secure the 7-3 win.
Olivia Grey took the loss in the circle, falling to 7-5 on the season. Tallying eight hits to Idaho State's nine, the Vikings were led by Maddie Thompson who went 3-for-4 at the dish.
The Vikings' bats caught fire in game two, racking up a season-high 16 hits to even the series. It was also Allicitie Frost's complete game performance that aided the win, as the junior held the Bengals to just four hits in the contest.
Johansen kicked things off for the Vikings with her second home run of the day, a two-run shot that scored Dean. The Bengals responded quickly, knotting the game at two in the second. Back-to-back doubles from Dean and Logan Riggenbach gave PSU its lead back in the bottom of the second as they headed to the third with a 4-2 advantage. As soon as Idaho State cut the Vikings' lead to one in the third, it was all Portland State. The Vikings used an eight-hit, six-run sixth inning highlighted by a three-run home run from Holden to lock in the 10-3 victory.
Eight Vikings recorded at least one hit in the win. Riggenbach, Johansen and Dean each finished with three hits, while Johansen led with four RBI.
Portland State will have the opportunity to claim its third straight conference series win in Saturday's rubber match. The third and final game of the series begins at noon at Gordon Faber Field 4.
