HILLSBORO, Ore. -  The Portland State softball team achieved redemption on Saturday, beating Weber State 8-3 in the series finale at Hillsboro Stadium.

The win marked the Vikings' 15th of the season as they improved to 15-18 overall and 4-2 in conference action. The Wildcats will head home with a 17-17 mark and a 5-1 conference record after a 2-1 weekend.

Entering the series finale, the Vikings were 1-12 when allowing their opponent to score in the first inning. However, they defied that narrative on Saturday. The Wildcats took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning, adding to it with another run in the second. Trailing 2-0, Portland State's offense came to life in the bottom of the fourth. The rally ignited with consecutive base hits by Paetynn Lopez and Natalia Martinez. Neveah Smith then used her speed to beat out a bobbled ball by Weber State's third baseman, allowing Lopez to score from third. Alapese Matautia followed with a perfectly executed squeeze bunt to score Grace Johnson before Maddie Thompson sealed the four-run inning with a two-RBI single, propelling the Vikings to a 4-2 lead.

Weber State narrowed the deficit in the top of the sixth, capitalizing on a leadoff double to bring the score to 4-3. However, Portland State countered that momentum shift with another four-run inning in the bottom of the sixth. Following a sacrifice fly from Emily Johansen, Lorraine Alo extended her hitting streak with her first hit of the day, driving in Thompson with a single up the middle. Martinez capped the scoring, nearly clearing the fence but instead settling for a two-RBI triple to make it 8-3. 

Grace Kimball and the Vikings' defense held the Wildcats to a scoreless seventh frame to secure the redemption victory. Kimball clinched her ninth win of the year, holding Weber State to only four hits in her fourth consecutive complete-game start.

After tallying just three hits in Friday's nightcap, the Vikings rediscovered their offense Saturday, knocking eleven hits, two of them for extra bases. Martinez and Thompson led the Vikings with three hits each, while Lopez also notched a multi-hit game.

Three Big Sky series remain on the Vikings' regular-season schedule, beginning with a crucial series at Sacramento State next weekend. The weekend will begin with a doubleheader on Friday, April 12th at Shea Stadium (1:00 p.m.).