HILLSBORO, Ore. - Runs were few and far between in Tuesday night's doubleheader between Portland State and Oregon State. Out of the 18 innings played, only two yielded runs, both benefitting the Vikings as they claimed consecutive 1-0 victories over the Beavers at Hillsboro Stadium.
The sweep extended the Vikings' win streak to five as they jumped to 8-14 on the year. The Beavers dropped to 12-14 overall.
Game two's eleventh-inning walk-off win signified PSU's fourth victory over OSU in five meetings. Tuesday's wins, combined with last year's victory, marks the first stretch since 1991 the Vikings have claimed three straight against Oregon State.
Pitching dominated both contests, resulting in four complete-game performances between the two teams.
Grace Kimball and
Allicitie Frost led the charge for the Vikings, combining for 18 scoreless innings while limiting the Beavers to just 11 hits. Of those 11 hits, only one went for extra bases. Before Tuesday, the Vikings hadn't shut out the Beavers since 2011.
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Offensively, the Vikings compiled nine hits, with only four players contributing to that count.
Lorraine Alo, who emerged as the hero in the nightcap, led the team with a 4-for-7 (.571) performance at the plate, recording two hits in each game. Additionally,
Maddie Thompson added to the hit count in both contests, knocking one hit in the first game and two in the second.
Both teams missed early opportunities in the opener, each stranding runners in the first inning. After the Vikings saw another opportunity slip through the cracks in the third,
Alapese Matautia capitalized in the fourth with a clutch two-out single, scoring
Neveah Smith. Although Oregon State threatened with runners on base in their final two at-bats, they couldn't convert. Kimball earned the win, improving to 4-6 on the season.
Game two mirrored the first, with the Beavers stranding eight runners on base for the second straight game. Frost delivered an impressive eleven-inning performance in the circle for PSU, striking out five batters en route to her third win of the year. Portland State, relying once more on timely hitting, clinched victory in the eleventh inning.
Natalia Martinez led off the frame with a walk, later replaced by Thompson on a fielder's choice. Thompson advanced to second on a wild pitch, paving the way for Alo's walk-off single to center field, which sealed the sweep.
The Vikings hope to extend their win streak against Western Oregon in a doubleheader this Friday, March 15 at Gordon Faber Field 4 (12/2:30 p.m.).Â
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