Softball team improves on road

Portland State played what was perhaps their best softball so far this season last weekend out in the hot weather of Las Vegas, Nev. Now, they are looking to carry that momentum into the start of their home schedule.

At the Eller Media Stadium Classic last weekend, hosted by UNLV, the Vikings grabbed victories over Longwood, Miami of Ohio and New Mexico State to open the tournament. Although they dropped their next two games to Harvard and UNLV, they played well in the losses. In those two games, they forced extra innings and a single run decided both games.

Unlike their previous tournament in Seattle a week earlier, in which Portland State did not see a single runner cross home plate, the Vikings were competitive in every single game out in the desert. With a little more luck, two extra-inning, one-run losses could easily have gone the other way and the team would be looking at a perfect 5-0 road trip. Either way, the Vikings should be happy with five well played games in a row.

“They’re not top-25 teams, but I think they’re very good competition for us,” Portland State head coach Amy Hayes said, in regards to the schools they faced. “I think we played much better this weekend. I think it’s unfortunate we couldn’t close on the last two games, because we went ahead late and didn’t finish. But it’s good for us to know that we can get better every weekend.”

The star of last weekend’s tournament was junior right-hander and clean-up hitter Mandy Hill. In the opener against Longwood, Hill did it all. In picking up the win, she also helped her own cause by smashing two homers, her solo shot breaking a 7-7 tie with two outs in the seventh inning. Hill went 2-2 in the tournament, charged with a loss against Harvard despite pitching seven innings of relief in which the lone run surrendered was unearned. She also added her fourth homerun of the year against UNLV in the tournament finale.

“Mandy (Hill) did have a great weekend. That’s more like Mandy. I know she had a tough start, and has been frustrated, but she really came through for us this past weekend and hit very well for us and threw a heck of a lot better,” said Hayes.

Sophomore right-hander Jessica Even picked up the other win in the tournament against Miami of Ohio. The victory is the first of Even’s career, whose record on the season now stands at 1-2. In seven innings, Even held Miami to five runs, striking out five against three walks.

The Vikings, 7-12 on the season will finally have the chance to play some games at home. Portland State’s first home game was Thursday night with a doubleheader against Oregon State at Erv Lind Stadium in Portland. Friday, the Vikings play two more at home against South Dakota State at 5 p.m., and Towson State at 7:30 p.m. The following day, Portland State hits the road for the Cascade Clash, a two-game set in Corvallis against South Dakota State and Utah State.

“For any school but maybe Arizona or California, its always going to be a long pre-season because you’re on the road. We’re excited, we have good success at home. We hope we have a good fan base out here tonight. It’s always a big game when you play an in-state rival like Oregon State,” said Hayes, prior to Thursday night’s game against the Beavers.