Down to one last shot

After earning a tough series split with powerhouse Loyola Marymount over the weekend, the Vikings find themselves staring down some difficult math: They are in fourth place in the conference, and with four games to go are all but eliminated from contending for the championship.

The Vikings fell to 9-7 in the Pacific Coast Softball Conference, two games behind conference-leading St. Mary’s and a game behind Sacramento State and Loyola Marymount, both knotted at 10-6 apiece.

Senior Mandy Hill and her teammates have been following the standings and have come up with a possible scenario in which the Vikings could claim the conference championship.

“We have to win all four [against Santa Clara]. Sac has to lose at least one and St. Mary’s and Loyola have to split. We’re not 100 percent sure yet,” Hill said.

It would seem Sacramento State would have to lose at least two games, as they swept the Vikings in the second week of conference play. Two losses would move the Hornets to 12-8, while the Vikings would be 13-7 if they won all four games next weekend.

The Vikings find themselves in need of a sweep against the Broncos after splitting four games against Loyola Marymount. While Portland State, led by two impressive shutouts by Hill, was able to control the Lions’ dominant ace Tiffany Pagano, LMU sophomore Melissa Dykema shut out the Vikings twice.

“I think LMU brought what they always bring, a very competitive team. They were ready to play,” said head coach Amy Hayes. “They were playing for a championship.”

Dykema won 5-0 and 1-0 on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, while Hill claimed a two-hit 3-0 shutout and a 2-0 shutout over Pagano on consecutive days.

Centerfielder Jackie Heide and second baseman Jamee Rauch knocked one run each in Saturday’s win, while junior slugger Jana Rae Slayton had the team’s only two RBIs Sunday afternoon.

Despite the long odds of earning a conference championship, Hill was upbeat about her final conference series at Erv Lind Stadium.

“It felt really good. It’s a really tough team. To be shutting down those power hitters felt really good. Our defense was on,” Hill said. “Anything hit, if it was in the park, they were going to catch it.”

Hayes said she was pleased with her team’s effort over the weekend and was particularly impressed with Sunday’s games.

“I think on Sunday I think we had good at-bats. Sunday, the second game, that was a great game. We just couldn’t get that run back,” Hayes said. “I think we hit the ball really well on Sunday. There will be days like that. I was really proud of our kids on Sunday.”

Sunday’s games were the last conference games for three seniors: pitchers Mandy Hill and Meghan Gendron, and outfielder Shannon Stacy.

“They each fill different roles. They’re each going to be hard roles to fill. Mandy Hill has been a mainstay for us since her sophomore year,” Hayes said. “It’s never easy to replace your No. 1 pitcher. Mandy definitely left her mark on the program.”

Hayes also praised Stacy and Gendron, calling Stacy a player who will be “a great leader in the community.”

Hayes also called Gendron a “pretty awesome kid” who impressed Hayes with how much she grew during the course of the season.

For the seniors to have a chance at extending their season, they must first chase perfection at Santa Clara (9-47, 5-11 PCSC) and hope the rest of the pieces fall into place. Before the Vikings head to Santa Clara, they will play their fourth and final game against Oregon Wednesday at Howe Field in Eugene, Ore.

“They’re [Santa Clara] bringing some scrappiness. They played Sacramento tough. They took three from LMU. It’s not going to be an easy road,” Hayes said. “We just have to go down there and go for it. We have to be confident and leave it all out on the field, because this is our last shot.”

Fun Facts

Shutouts are rare, but over the weekend two pitchers each recorded two shutouts. Both senior Mandy Hill and Lions’ sophomore Melissa Dykema turned in a pair of dominant pitching performances.

Saturday

Game 13-0 Vikings winHill: 2 H, 0 R, 8 K

Game 25-0 Lions winDykema: 2 H, 0 R, 2 K

SundayGame 12-0 Vikings winHill: 8 H, 0 R, 5 K

Game 21-0 Lions winDykema: 2 H, 0 R, 1 K