Vikings Drop Pair of One-Run Games to Shut California Journey

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The Portland State softball crew was on the dropping finish of two one-run video games Saturday, falling 6-5 in additional innings to LMU earlier than dropping a 3-2 consequence to Southern Utah at Smith Field.

The Vikings (8-16) jumped out to a 4-0 lead over LMU (20-9) within the opener and likewise held an early benefit in opposition to Southern Utah (14-15), however could not cling on. 

Four of the Vikings’ 5 runs in opposition to the Lions got here within the first inning. Grace Johnson sparked the rally with a bunt single and stoen base earlier than Mia Martinez introduced her house with a double down the left-field line. Nichole Orozco and Jolee Benson adopted with RBIs earlier than Sierra Llamas and Abigail Carsley added sacrifice flies to cap the four-run body.

LMU chipped away with two runs within the second and finally tied the sport within the seventh on a two-run house run. Playing additional innings beneath worldwide tiebreaker guidelines, the Vikings opened the eighth with Orozco positioned on second. Benson moved her to 3rd with a sacrifice bunt, and Llamas reached on an error that allowed Orozco to attain and provides Portland State the lead again. The Lions answered within the backside of the eighth, loading the bases with one out and securing the 6-5 win on a sacrifice fly adopted by an RBI single.

PSU tallied 9 hits within the loss, with a 3-for-4 efficiency from Johnson main the way in which. Freshman Giselle Pantoja tossed the total 7.2 innings, holding the Lions to only two runs by six of these innings. She completed the outing with a profession excessive 5 strikeouts. 

Southern Utah was the primary to strike in recreation two, bringing one throughout in its opening at bat. However, the Vikings have been fast to reply because of a two-out two-run house run from Carsley that put them up 2-1. 

The forwards and backwards continued, with Southern Utah knotting the sport within the backside half of the second. The rating remained 2-2 till the fourth, when the Thunderbirds scored one run on two hits for a 3-2 lead. The Vikings threatened in each the fifth and sixth innings, placing runners on base however could not convey the tying run house as SUU closed out the 3-2 victory. 

The Vikings out-hit the Thunderbirds 8-6, led by two hits every from Martinez and Carsley. Sherreigh Nakoa-Chung turned in one other stable outing within the circle, permitting six hits over six innings whereas placing out 4.

Portland State will lastly get a break from the highway as it prepares for its house opening-weekend at Hillsboro Ballpark subsequent week. The Vikings will host North Dakota for a doubleheader on Friday, March 20 (2 & 4:30pm) adopted by a three-game sequence versus the Broncos Sunday and Monday (March 22-23). Admission to Hillsboro Ballpark is free for all followers.