Home stand

In their last home conference series of the year, the Vikings combined stellar pitching with prolific offense to beat Sacramento State three out of four times, solidifying their hold on the top spot in the PCSC and moving their overall record to 23-20.

For the six seniors on the Portland State roster, it was the last conference home series of their careers.

Before the second game of Sunday’s doubleheader, Jackie Heidi, Jana Rae Slayton, Jenna Wilson, Kristen Wilson, Jamee Rauch and Jessi Even were all honored for their achievements with the program.

In an emotional ceremony, the players received flowers from their teammates and applause from the Vikings’ faithful gathered at Erv Lind Stadium.

The rest of the weekend, though, was all about business.

On Saturday, the Vikings took the sting out of the visiting Hornets, blanking them 2-0 in the first game and repeating the feat even more emphatically with a 10-0 romp in the second game.

Viking pitcher Nichole Latham threw four strikeouts and allowed only four hits in a full game’s worth of work, setting up Portland State’s offense for the knockout punch.

That came in the fourth inning, when Brandi Scoggins belted a shot to deep left field, scoring Jana Rae Slayton.

Scoggins then made it all the way home after an errant attempt to throw her out at third rolled into left field.

In Saturday’s second game, the Vikings’ bats roared to life, collecting 12 hits and scoring 10 runs in only five innings of play. Heidi, Scoggins, Slayton and Kristen Wilson all went 2-2 in the contest, with Wilson driving in four RBIs.

It was the most runs the Vikings had scored in a game since April 11, when they beat San Diego 10-3.

On Sunday, the warm weather continued and so did the Vikings’ strong play.

With the first game locked at two in the eighth inning, Jenna Wilson smashed a two-run homer over the center-field fence to give PSU the 4-2 advantage. In the bottom of the inning, Vikings pitcher Tori Rogers forced a double play to put the Hornets away.

In the last game of the series, the Vikings’ defense faltered, opening up the door for the Hornets to take advantage of the opportunity. After not having recorded an error in five straight games, the Vikings committed six on Sunday, including four in the second game.

Despite their defensive problems, the Vikings’ bats remained consistent, as Jenna Wilson connected for her 13th double of the season and her second homerun of the day.

Trailing 5-4 in the top of the seventh inning, Portland State pinch hitter De’Chauna Skinner blasted her second homerun of the season over the left-field fence to send the game into extra innings.

But the Hornets’ offense proved too much in the eighth inning, as they piled up three singles including the game-ending bunt that sent the tie-breaking run home.

Still, the Vikings’ ability to take three of four from a tough Hornets team—a feat that no Portland State team has ever been able to accomplish since joining the PCSC—keeps the squad atop the conference standing with just two weeks of play remaining.

The Vikings play their final home games of the season on Wednesday when they host rival Oregon in a doubleheader at Erv Lind Stadium. The first pitch will be thrown at 2 p.m.