The Portland State softball team (17-21, 3-2 Western Athletic Conference) lost to the Oregon State Beavers in a rescheduled game on Monday at Erv Lind Stadium.
The Vikings had just defeated San Jose State (21-27, 3-5 WAC) twice in a pair of close games on Saturday, after dropping two big shutouts in a row to the nationally-ranked Washington Huskies on Wednesday.
The game against Oregon State was also close. Morgan Seibert pitched the entire game, giving up only three runs on six hits. Seibert struck out six Beavers and did not allow a walk.
But again, the Viking offense disappeared, and three runs turned out to be too many as the Vikings lost 3-0 to the Beavers.
Over the weekend, the Vikings were able to slide into third place in the WAC, thanks to their consistently powerful pitchers, Seibert and Nichole Ivie, and two big games from Kiauna Anderson, who received the WAC player of the week honor.
Anderson has been the offensive catalyst in the last several games for a team that had been desperately looking for one. Last week, Anderson hit two game-winning home runs to go with two doubles, six RBI and six runs scored in seven games.
Anderson continued her streak at the plate in game one against San Jose, hitting her 12th double of the season in the second inning, that drove in three Viking runs, including the game winner as Portland State won 4-2.
Ivie started and gave up the two runs on only five hits to earn the win and is now 5-9 on the year.
In game two, Anderson didn’t waste any time in defending her status as the heart and soul of the Viking offense. Anderson blasted a solo shot in the first that accounted for Portland State’s only run of the game.
It would be enough, though, as the Vikings won 1-0 thanks to the pitching of Seibert, who gave up six hits and only two walks in her sixth shutout of the year. Seibert kept the Spartans off-balance all night and finished with nine strikeouts.Against No. 13 Washington on Wednesday, the Vikings lost 9-0 in game one and 8-0 game two.
Seibert pitched in game one, giving up eight hits, five for extra bases, in four innings. Seibert and Anderson teamed up on offense to produce the Vikings only hits. Anderson went three-for-three and Seibert went two-for-two.
In game two, Ivie gave up 11 hits and eight runs in four innings. Both games were called in the fifth inning due to the mercy rule.
Monica Martell had a base hit in the game to go with Anderson’s walk. The two of them were the only Viking representatives on the bases in the game.
The Vikings will be traveling to Honolulu to play a game on Friday (5 p.m.) and one on Saturday (1 p.m.) against the University of Hawaii.