Clean sweep

The Vikings continued their domination over Santa Clara this weekend by sweeping the four-game series, extending their win streak over the Broncos to 11 straight games dating back to the 2007 season, and pushing their season-record five games above .500 at 18-13. 

The perfect weekend also vaulted Portland State to its second consecutive 4-0 start to Pacific Coast Softball Conference play. The team also began last season with a terrific start, beating San Diego in four straight games.

In Saturday’s doubleheader at Erv Lind Stadium, the Vikings rallied behind the prolific bat of senior first basemen Jana Rae Slayton, who went 4-6 through the two games and drove in seven RBIs.

Slayton, a PCSC First Team All-Conference honoree last season, connected on a three-run double in the third inning on Saturday that helped push the Vikings out to a 6-0 lead through three innings.

The Vikings finished off the game early by scoring eight unanswered runs through five innings, capped by a base hit by sophomore Brandi Campos that drove in the deciding run.

Sophomore Nichole Latham pitched the shutout, allowing only three hits from the Broncos while striking out three batters.

In the second game, it was Slayton’s offense that again sparked the Vikings’ victory. The sophomore infielder ended an 18-game homerless stretch in the fourth inning when she connected on a three-run shot, her fifth homerun of the season.

Junior pitcher Tori Rogers, a transfer from New Mexico, earned her fourth win of the season while racking up a career-high 10 strikeouts in the contest.

The Vikings continued their offensive assault against the Broncos on Sunday, scoring a total of 19 runs in the doubleheader on 28 hits. As a team, Portland State averaged .423 at the plate compared to Santa Clara’s dismal .163.

Senior designated hitter Kristen Wilson went 3-3 in the first game, producing two doubles to spearhead the Vikings’ 11-6 victory. In the second half of the doubleheader, Wilson continued her streak, going 2-3 with a two-run homer in the second inning and an RBI single in the sixth.

Slayton capped the Vikings’ scoring in the seventh inning with a two-run shot, her second of the weekend and 17th of her career. The tally is good enough for third on the school’s all-time career list.

In the four wins, Latham and Rogers pitched two games apiece, combining for 30 strikeouts and allowing just 15 hits. Latham improved her season total to 11-6, while Rogers moved up to 5-2.

The Vikings, helmed by first-year head coach Tobin Echo-Hawk, host Oregon State on Wednesday for a doubleheader. The first pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Erv Lind Stadium in Northeast Portland.