SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The Portland State softball team dropped both games on Friday, the opening day of the Gold Coast Classic, falling 8-1 to Harvard and 9-2 to Santa Clara at Santa Clara Softball Stadium.

With the losses, Portland State's record dropped to 4-20, while Harvard improved to 6-4, and host school Santa Clara moved to 13-9 overall.

The Vikings recorded nine hits on the day, but only three of those came in the first game. Grace Kimball kept Harvard scoreless through their first two at-bats, but a five-hit third inning, compounded by four Viking errors, allowed the Crimson to take a 5-0 lead. Another error and a two-run home run in the sixth inning extended Harvard's lead to 8-0 before the Vikings managed to score their only run of the game when Grace Johnson crossed the plate on a wild pitch to break up the shutout.

Neveah Smith, Johnson, and Sherreigh Nakoa-Chung were the only Vikings to notch hits in the opener.

The final score of game two didn't reflect the Vikings' solid five innings of play. They led twice against the Broncos, first taking the lead in their initial at-bat when Lorraine Alo drove in Johnson from third base. Johnson then scored again in the third inning, after a bunt single turned into a Little League home run thanks to an overthrow by the Broncos. However, that run was the last for the Vikings, as Santa Clara broke the game open with a two-run fifth inning and a five-run sixth inning to win 9-2.

Portland State totaled six hits, while Santa Clara tallied 11. Johnson finished the day 3-for-6 at the plate, with two hits in Game two, and scored all three of the Vikings' runs across both games.

The Vikings will be back in action on Saturday, facing Columbia at 11:00 a.m., followed by a 4:00 p.m. rematch against the Broncos at Santa Clara Softball Stadium. Portland State is scheduled to play its final game of the tournament on Sunday in Moraga, Calif., against Saint Mary's. The game, originally set for an 11:30 a.m. start, has been moved up to 9:00 a.m. on Sunday.