Stanford, Calif. - The Portland State softball team dropped two games on the second day of the Cardinal Classic, falling 10-2 to UC Davis and 16-5 to 22nd-ranked Stanford at Stanford Stadium on Saturday.
The Vikings now hold a 3-6 overall record, while the Aggies improved to 5-3, and Stanford's victory lifted them to 8-0 on the season.
Regardless of Saturday's outcomes, Portland State had a strong offensive showing, scoring first in both games and totaling 15 hits on the day. That display included a nine-hit outing against No. 22 Stanford, which had previously not allowed more than four hits in any game this season. The Vikings not only doubled Stanford's previous high for hits allowed but also scored five runs, marking the second most runs scored against the Cardinal this season.
Facing UC Davis in game one, Natalia Martinez sparked the Vikings' offense with an RBI single in the first inning, giving PSU a quick 1-0 lead. However, the Aggies quickly responded, launching a two-RBI triple and a two-run home run to take a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the first. Martinez then hit a solo home run in the bottom of the third, narrowing the gap to 4-2. The Aggies countered with two runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth, extending their lead to 8-2 before adding two final runs in the seventh, resulting in a 10-2 victory.
Portland State turned to four pitchers in Saturday's opener, beginning with redshirt junior Gracie Walters, who made her Viking debut after missing the entire 2024 season due to injury. Defensively, the Vikings were solid in the loss, recording seven error-free innings for the first time this season. They finished with six hits at the plate, led by Martinez, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI.
In Saturday's nightcap against the undefeated, nationally-ranked Stanford Cardinal, the Vikings again struck first when Ellie Babbitt drove in Grace Johnson with an RBI double in the opening frame, giving PSU an early lead. However, the Cardinal swiftly answered, hitting two home runs in their first at-bat to take a 3-1 lead.
Freshman Gracie Toney gave Portland State another boost in the second inning with a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Rylee Gaustad for her first collegiate RBI.
Stanford exploded for six runs on six hits in the bottom of the second, pushing their lead to 9-2. Babbitt responded the very next frame with a two-out, two-run home run to bring the score to 9-4. However, Stanford added four scores in the third and three more in the fourth, stretching their advantage to 16-4. With two outs and the run rule in play, Babbitt capped her impressive day with another two-out RBI, singling home Johnson to make it 16-5 before the Cardinal secured the run-rule victory with a strikeout.
Babbitt's impressive stat line showed four RBI and a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate against the Cardinal. The Vikings' remaining six hits in the contest were spread among six other players.
Portland State aims to end the weekend on a high note as they return to Stanford Stadium tomorrow morning to face UC Riverside at 11:00 AM.
