HILLSBORO, Ore. - The Portland State softball team wrapped up its regular-season campaign on Saturday afternoon with a 4-0 defeat against Northern Colorado at Gordon Faber Field. It was a bittersweet day for the Vikings as they celebrated their nine-member senior class.

With this loss, the Vikings are now officially out of contention for the top seed in the upcoming Big Sky Championship tournament. Their regular-season record stands at 19-22 (8-6 BSC) as they prepare for postseason action. Meanwhile, the Bears (24-22, 9-5 BSC) have positioned themselves favorably to clinch the top seed, needing just one loss from Weber State against Idaho State tomorrow to solidify their position.

All four runs in Saturday's series finale were scored in the first inning. Viking right-handed starter Allicitie Frost faced a tough start, allowing three hits and four runs in the opening inning. However, she settled in afterward, giving up just one hit and zero earned runs in the remaining six frames.

The Vikings had a promising opportunity to rally in the bottom of the third when Ellie Babbitt and Alexa Cepeda delivered back-to-back base hits to kick off the inning. Despite this, Northern Colorado's Erin Caviness managed to work her way out of the jam, retiring three of the next four batters to escape unscathed.

Unfortunately, the Vikings couldn't regain momentum as the Bears held on for a 4-0 victory.

Both teams tallied four hits apiece. Alexa Cepeda led the Vikings with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate, finishing the weekend 5-for-7. Despite Allicitie Frost's impressive six innings on the rubber, she was handed the loss, concluding her regular season with a 6-10 record.

The Big Sky Tournament is set to take place in Pocatello, Idaho from May 8-11. The tournament winner will earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.