Softball team takes wild ride over break
After a 4-2 win in game one, Portland State came back from a three run deficit in the bottom of the seventh inning to rally to an 8-7 win, chalking up their first doubleheader sweep of the University of Oregon in a decade.
The Vikings improved to 12-17 overall, while Oregon fell to 23-21.
Sophomore Morgan Seibert, who came into game two with PSU trailing 5-4 in the top of the seventh, gave up two runs on three hits, but earned her second win of the afternoon, improving to 9-9 on the year.
Over the break the Vikings dropped doubleheaders to No. 5 Stanford and No. 25 Pacific, but swept Santa Clara and St. Mary’s. The Vikings then split a doubleheader with Sacramento State to finish their .500 California trip.
Stanford shut out the Vikings twice to start the trip, 7-0 and 5-0 on Saturday, March 24. Stanford sophomore Dana Sorensen pitched a 15-strikeout perfect game against the Vikings in game one, while Seibert gave up seven runs on 10 hits.
In game two, the Vikings managed to avoid being no-hit by squeaking out a sole baserunner in Kiauna Anderson. Anderson reached base on a double and a walk to spoil an otherwise perfect day for a platoon of three tough Stanford pitchers.Still suffering from an impotent offense, the Vikings turned to their strengths in two tough games against Santa Clara the following day. Seibert and fellow sophomore Nichole Ivie both pitched 1-0 shutouts in the doubleheader.
Against St. Mary’s on Monday, Ivie was instrumental on the mound and at the plate in the Vikings’ sweep. Ivie blasted a two-run single in the third inning of game one and a clutch two-run double in the fifth of game two. Ivie also pitched six innings in game two, giving up only four hits to earn the win.
Seibert also pitched well, striking out eight in a three-hitter to take game one 4-1.The Vikings’ bats finally started connecting against St. Mary’s, as they batted .322 in the two games, before abruptly grinding to a halt against No. 25 Pacific. The Vikings were swept in that doubleheader 3-0 and 7-1, despite more excellent pitching from Seibert. Seibert pitched five shutout innings and struck out seven batters, but gave up three runs in the sixth to lose the game.
Ivie pitched game two, and allowed seven runs on 11 hits to take the loss. Ivie batted in the Vikings’ only run in the fourth on a bases-loaded single.
Seibert concluded her week with a shutout against Sacramento State in game one of a doubleheader on March 29. Seibert struck out six and did not allow a walk in another three-hitter that ended up being her fourth shutout of the season.
The Vikings could still offer very little offense. The bats only got two hits in game one, but they turned out to be just enough for the Vikings to earn the win.Ivie pitched the next game and lost 4-2, allowing three earned runs on nine hits in six innings.
Portland State will open conference play with a doubleheader against WAC leading Fresno State on Thursday at Erv Lind Stadium at 4 p.m.
