HILLSBORO, Ore. – The Portland State softball team added a pair of games to the win column Thursday evening, securing a doubleheader sweep of Seattle at Gordon Faber Field 4, with scores of 6-4 and 2-0.
 
The Vikings, who are now 4-0 at home this season, improved to 5-14 overall.  The Redhawks dropped to 8-14 on the year.  
 
The Vikings had a slow start offensively in the opening game, remaining scoreless until the fifth inning. The Redhawks surged ahead with a 3-0 lead, scoring runs in both the third and fourth innings. However, Paetynn Lopez put the Vikings on the scoreboard with a crucial two-out, two-RBI single in the bottom of the fifth. Grace Johnson then contributed an RBI single to left field, leveling the game at three runs apiece.
 
Seattle responded in the top of the sixth, scoring one run on two hits to regain the lead. The seesaw battle continued into the bottom of the inning. Once again, Portland State delivered with two outs. Logan Riggenbach gave the Vikings their first advantage of the day with a two-RBI triple. Following suit, Lorraine Alo brought Riggenbach home with an RBi single, extending the Vikings' lead to 6-4.  
 
PSU starting pitcher Allicitie Frost and her defense shut down the Redhawks' bats in the top of the seventh inning, securing the 6-4 victory.
 
During her complete-game performance, Frost held Seattle to just seven hits and three earned runs, claiming her second win of the season.
 
Grace Kimball was outstanding in game two, delivering Portland State's first solo complete-game shutout of the year. The redshirt junior surrendered just four hits while striking out six batters.
 
Offensively, the Vikings were limited to just four hits, with three of those occurring in the bottom of the second. Makayla Romeo, Alexa Cepeda, and Maddie Thompson knocked three consecutive singles, two of which drove in runs, propelling the Vikings to a 2-0 lead.
 
From then on, it turned into a pitching duel, with only three hits recorded after the second inning. Seattle reached base twice in their final at-bat, but Kimball shut the door, securing the 2-0 win to conclude the doubleheader.
 
After the Vikings out-hit the Redhawks 9-7 in the opener, both teams managed just four hits in the nightcap. Nine Vikings recorded at least one hit on Thursday. Thompson led the team with three hits in seven at-bats, while Cepeda recorded a team-best .667 average (2-for-3).
 
Portland State aims for its first three-game sweep of the season tomorrow (Friday, March 8). The Vikings will face Seattle one final time in a single game scheduled for 11 a.m. at Gordon Faber Field.