HILLSBORO, Ore. – The Portland State softball team dropped its first game to Pacific, 5-3, on Saturday but bounced back for a thrilling 6-5 win in game two at Hillsboro Stadium, splitting their first series-opening doubleheader of the season.
The Vikings moved to 5-25 overall, while the Tigers improved to 10-19 on the season.
Portland State fell behind early in game one, trailing 4-0 after Pacific scored in the second and fourth innings. The Vikings chipped away at the deficit, scoring two runs in the fourth on a two-RBI single by Alison Harris, followed by an RBI single from Natalia Martinez in the fifth to make it 4-3. However, Pacific capitalized on a pair of Viking errors in the top of the sixth to extend its lead to 5-3, a margin they held for the remainder of the game. The Vikings went down in order in their final two at-bats, allowing Pacific to secure the win.
Despite the loss, the Vikings out-hit the Tigers in the opener, 8-6. Neveah Smith and Martinez led the way offensively, recording two hits each. Sherreigh Nakoa-Chung and Annie Lemos split the pitching duties for Portland State, with Nakoa-Chung starting before Lemos took over in the fourth. Lemos pitched 3.2 innings, allowing zero earned runs.
The Vikings came out hot in game two, loading the bases with two outs in the first before Harris delivered a bases-clearing double to right field, giving PSU a 3-0 lead. Meanwhile, Vikings starter Grace Kimball kept the Tigers hitless until the fifth, when Pacific capitalized on a hit, a pair of walks, and wild pitches to score two runs and cut the Portland State lead to 3-2. The Tigers carried that momentum into the sixth, scoring two more runs on three hits to take their first lead of the contest, 4-3.
In the bottom of the sixth, Smith and Grace Johnson reached base to start the inning before Lorraine Alo drew a walk to load the bases. After the Tigers retired the next two batters, Harris reached on an error by the left fielder, clearing the bases and giving the Vikings a 6-4 advantage.
Pacific threatened in the top of the seventh, loading the bases with no outs. A hit batter brought the Tigers within one run, with the go-ahead run moving to second base but with the pressure mounting, Anna Jardin and the Viking defense held strong. Lorraine Alo made a clutch play at first base, scooping a hard ground ball and throwing it home for the force out. Harris then fired it back to first for a game-ending double play, securing the 6-5 win for PSU.
The Vikings and Tigers will face off in the rubber match of their three-game series on Sunday, March 23, with the game set to begin at 12:00 PM at Hillsboro Stadium.
