POCATELLO, Idaho – The fourth-seeded Portland State softball team's resilient run in the Big Sky tournament came to an end Saturday, falling in the championship to top-seed Northern Colorado. The Vikings battled to a 4-3 extra-inning victory in game one, only to face a ten-inning defeat in game two, bringing their season to an end just shy of the program's third Big Sky title.
 
The Vikings became only the second team in the conference's history to advance through the loser's bracket and reach a deciding championship game. Despite starting with a 4-3 loss to fifth-seeded Weber State in the tournament opener, the Vikings bounced back, securing four consecutive wins before succumbing in the tournament finale on Saturday. Their week concluded with a 4-2 record, bringing their season to a close at 23-24 (.489). This 23-win season stands as the second most successful season in head coach Meadow McWhorter's eight-year tenure.
 
The Bears, who clinched the regular season conference title this season, secured their second straight tournament championship, improving to 27-24 on the year.
 
Building upon the momentum gained in Friday's quarterfinal and semifinal victories, the Vikings established an early 1-0 lead in Saturday's opening game courtesy of a solo shot by Natalia Martinez in the top of the second. The Vikings extended their lead in the sixth inning when Martinez and Logan Riggenbach drove in a pair of runs, making it 3-0. However, Northern Colorado surged back in the home half of the sixth, narrowing the Vikings' lead with a two-run home run. They fed off that energy in the following inning, tying the game with a two-out solo home run to level the score at three in the bottom of the seventh.  
With her team's fate hanging in the balance, Maddie Thompson opened the bottom of the seventh with a base hit to left field before Johansen moved her to second with a sacrifice bunt. Alo then delivered a crucial RBI single up the middle, driving in Thompson to knot the game at four. With the winning run on second and just one out, the Bears regrouped, retiring the next two Viking batters to force extra innings..
 
Despite Paetynn Lopez reaching base in the final at-bat, the Vikings couldn't bridge the gap, bringing their season to a close.
 
Portland State recorded more hits than the Bears in both games, with a 9-8 advantage in the first contest and an 11-10 edge in the second. Martinez led the Vikings in game one, going 3-for-4 at the plate with two RBI. Alo finished the day 5-for-7 with a pair of RBI.