OGDEN, Utah - Powered by 15 hits and
Olivia Grey's first career no-hitter, the fourth-seeded Portland State softball team blew past No. 6 Montana 13-0 in a Big Sky Tournament elimination game on Thursday afternoon at the Wildcat Softball Field. The run-rule victory kept the Vikings' season alive as they improved to 17-26 on the season. The Grizzlies ended their season 10-37 overall.
After a loss on Wednesday dropped them into the loser's bracket, the Vikings entered Thursday's elimination game with a fire in their bellies.
Portland State's offense fed off a stellar performance from Grey in the circle. With her ninth win of the season, the senior recorded her first career no-hitter. Only an infield error in the third inning separated her from a perfect game as she retired 16 of the 15 batters she faced while recording seven strikeouts.
The Vikings were equally as impressive at the plate, tallying 13 runs and 15 hits while handing Montana its third-largest defeat in program history. Nine different players recorded at least one hit as the Vikings' tied their second-highest hit count of the season over five innings.
Olivia Dean and
Ellie Babbitt led with three hits each, while
Allicitie Frost's grand slam notched a team-high four RBI.
Logan Riggenbach got things started for Portland State in the top of the first, singling home
Olivia Dean to take a 1-0 lead. The Vikings added three more in the second inning, highlighted by a two-out two-RBI single from
Paetynn Lopez.
Following two scoreless innings, the Vikings' offense erupted in the fifth, scoring nine runs on eight hits. RBI singles from Dean,
Emily Johansen and
Shea Garcia put the Vikings on top 9-0. It was Frost who put the cherry on top for Portland State, blasting a grand slam to send the
Vikings into the bottom of the fifth with a 13-run lead. Grey secured the win with a 1-2-3 inning, sending the Vikings into Friday's quarterfinal with a great deal of momentum.
PSU will look to put that momentum to good use as they prepare to face No. 5 Weber State on Friday at noon PT. The loser will go home, while the winner will advance to the semifinal game immediately following game one.
