The Portland State women’s softball team beat St. Mary’s to become the two-time Pacific Coast Softball Conference champions. The Vikings defeated the Gaels 6-1 in game one on Friday and followed it with a 1-0 shutout on Saturday. The Vikings advance to the NCAA regionals for the second year, and they have been selected to face Oregon in Eugene for the first round of NCAA play.
The Portland State women’s softball team beat St. Mary’s to become the two-time Pacific Coast Softball Conference champions. The Vikings defeated the Gaels 6-1 in game one on Friday and followed it with a 1-0 shutout on Saturday. The Vikings advance to the NCAA regionals for the second year, and they have been selected to face Oregon in Eugene for the first round of NCAA play.
Day one against the Gaels featured Viking offense at its finest, as sophomore Becca Bliss and freshman Brittany Hendrickson each slammed a home run. The teams were tied at 1-1 to start the top of the sixth, but Bliss’ homer drove in three runs. The home run from Bliss could not have come at a better time for the sophomore, who had many of her earlier hits caught by the Gaels’ defense, head coach Tobin Echo-Hawk said. Next, Hendrickson sealed the deal with a single run off her homer in the seventh inning to complete the 6-1 victory.
“We worked really hard the last two weeks to prepare for their pitcher,” Echo-Hawk said. “We knew we were going to see their number one at some point, so we really practiced hard working on the things she was going to throw us.”
While the opening game showcased the Vikings’ ability at bat, Saturday was all about the pitching. Junior Anna Bertrand led the team to the 1-0 victory, pitching a full-game shutout. The junior gave up no walks and only three hits while striking out eight batters. Bertrand’s performance earned her the Most Outstanding Pitcher award for the championship.
“I think our edge was definitely our great pitching,” senior infielder Jenna Krogh said. “We are not as good as St. Marys at the plate, but Friday we came out hard and hit really well, and on Saturday Anna kept us in that game.”
Bertrand’s performance this weekend and throughout her entire season also earned the junior a unanimous Mountain Division Pitcher of the Year award. She earned the honor alongside teammate Alicia Fine, who got Mountain Division Freshman Player of the Year, and Echo-Hawk, who got Mountain Division Coach of the Year.
“[Bertrand] just has been our rock all season,” Echo-Hawk said. “She is one of the main reasons we have been as successful as we have, and it was nice to see her go down there and have a little success…She lost to them earlier in the season, so I know she was going in with something to prove, not only to them and to our team but to herself.”
The winning run for the Vikings was off a hit by Hendrickson in the bottom of the sixth. The play was the result of a lead-off hit by Fine, who was traded at base for pinch runner Aubrey Nitschelm. Karmen Holladay followed up Fine’s hit with a sacrifice bunt, advancing Nitschelm to second base, and Hendrickson nailed a hit that drove her teammate home.
The game finished with key catches in foul territory paired with Bertrand pitching her eighth strikeout of the day. The Vikings managed to stop the Gaels from scoring and secured the championship victory.
The Vikings play the Oregon Ducks for the opening round of NCAA regionals in Eugene, where they had a double-header in non-conferenceplay earlier this season. There couldn’t have been a better draw because the teams previously played each other, Echo-Hawk said.
“I think it is definitely beneficial for us at the plate,” Krogh said. “We’ve seen their pitchers. We know what they’re working with, and we’ve played at their stadium. So it is nothing new, which keeps us relaxed and able to perform at our best.”
The Vikings will play Oregon on Thursday at 6 p.m. The format is double elimination, giving the Vikings two chances to progress in the tournament. This is the second consecutive year and fourth time the Vikings have made it to the NCAA regionals.
