LA JOLLA, Calif. -  The Portland State softball team began its 2025 season on Friday, losing 4-1 to Winthrop before rain washed out their second game, scheduled for 4:30 PM, against UC San Diego at Triton Softball Field.
 
For now, Saturday and Sunday's schedules remain unchanged. If weather permits, the Vikings are set to continue action tomorrow beginning at 1:30 PM against BYU followed by a 7:00 PM contest against the Tritons.
 
Fortunately, rain didn't spoil the Vikings' entire day on Friday, as they were able to get one game under their belt against the Eagles earlier in the afternoon. Like many teams early in the season, the Vikings struggled to find their rhythm at the plate while uncharacteristic mistakes haunted them defensively. However, PSU's starting pitcher Grace Kimball, delivered a strong performance in the circle, allowing just one earned run while striking out six over 5.2 innings.

The turning point for the Eagles came in the bottom of the third when back-to-back errors by the Vikings broke the scoreless tie, allowing Winthrop to take a 2-0 lead. Portland State couldn't find a breakthrough offensively, going three-up, three-down in the fourth, fifth and sixth frames. Winthrop extended their lead in the bottom of the sixth with a pair of two-out extra-base hits, increasing their advantage to three runs, which quickly grew to four due to another Viking error.
 
However, the Vikings showed their resilience with a comeback attempt in the top of the seventh. Lorraine Alo reached second base with no outs after an Eagle error. Natalia Martinez then capitalized on the RBI opportunity, driving in PSU's first run of the 2025 season. A few batters later, with the Vikings down to their final out, Sherreigh Nakoa-Chung drew a walk to load the bases and keep her team alive. With the go-ahead run at the plate for Portland State, Powell buckeled down, striking out the final batter to secure the Eagles 4-1 win.
 
The Vikings managed only two hits in the contest, with Neveah Smith recording the first—a two-out single through the left side in the third inning that advanced a runner into scoring position. 
 
Should the rain stay away, the Vikings will be back in action tomorrow (Saturday, Feb. 8), with games against BYU (1:30 PM) and UC San Diego (7:00 PM).