Memories until the end

Mandy Hill owns most of the important pitching and hitting records in school history, so there was little left to prove when she stepped into the pitcher’s circle for the final time in her Portland State career Tuesday evening.

However, Hill left Vikings fans with one more lasting memory: a two-hit shutout in a game against Oregon State in which she also drove in the sole run.

It was a signature game for a player who has been the face of the program for the past three years. The win ended the Vikings’ season on a positive note, after the team fell one game short of claiming a second Pacific Coast Softball Conference Championship in three years.

“I told myself I wasn’t going to cry. But it was so nerve-wracking,” Hill said. “The first pitch, I don’t know how I got it over the plate. It was really emotional.”

Hill said her competitive side took over and she went about shutting down the Beavers. The game was scoreless until the fifth inning. Junior first baseman Jana Rae Slayton hit a triple off Beavers pitcher Kelly Dyer, and Hill stepped up to the plate.

“I got the hit,” Hill said. “I hadn’t been hitting at all. It was really nice to finally get the hit to end my career saying I got the winning hit and I pitched a two-hit shutout.”

Hill induced Beavers first baseman DeAnn Young into a game-ending double play. After that, Hill was overcome by emotion.

“I was shocked when it was over,” Hill said. “We all sat around in a circle and talked about how good the game was. Then it was all over for me. I started bawling.”

The win gave the Vikings a 31-27 record overall. They went 13-7 in the PCSC, finishing one game behind conference champion Sacramento State. It was just the second time the Vikings have won 30 games since joining the PCSC in its inaugural season in 2002.

Slayton was easily the most-improved player. She batted .204 last year before exploding for a .341 average this year. She doubled her RBIs from 16 to a team-high 32, and played stellar defense at first base.

Two freshmen also contributed heavily to the team’s success. Pitcher Nicole Latham went 11-10 with a 4.19 ERA and took much of the burden off Hill. Arielle Wiser played well at shortstop and hit .327 with 21 RBIs, good for fifth on the team.

“I’m very proud of the kids,” said assistant coach Tobin Echo-Hawk. “Just the way we started, the way that we were in the middle when we had our hot period, and then to come into the conference and have things not go our way, we could have folded.”

The Vikings started conference play hot, sweeping San Diego at home. It was champion Sacramento State that derailed the Vikings by winning three of four in Sacramento. Tough splits against Loyola Marymount and St. Mary’s allowed the Hornets to sneak by the Vikings and eventually claim their first PCSC title.

Still, in their final week of conference play and needing a sweep of Santa Clara, the Vikings came through with four tough wins, three of them shutouts.

“The way they always responded was positive,” Echo-Hawk said. “I think we’re disappointed because we think we could have been in a better situation. Yet, I can’t say anything but good things about the kids that we have and how proud of them I am.”

The 2008 season will also be remembered for some exciting games against Pac-10 schools. Portland State recorded wins against Oregon, Oregon State and Washington, with wins in Eugene and Seattle.

Hill said the win against the Huskies is one of the most memorable of the season because it ended a winless streak against UW. The Vikings had never beaten Washington in 47 tries before this year.

“To finally get a win on their home field, nobody thought we were going to win,” Hill said. “We ended up pulling out the tiebreaker and winning. Everybody rushed the field like we had won the World Series. We were so happy.”

Hill also pointed to her final outing as a Viking, not only because she got the win and knocked in the winning run, but also because it denied OSU a chance to play in the NCAA Regionals.

“I don’t have anything against Oregon State,” she said. “If we can’t go to Regionals, we don’t want them to go to Regionals. It was great to get that win, the last win, the last home game.”

The Vikings lose Hill, right fielder Shannon Stacy and pitcher Meghan Gendron, but they return their entire infield and look to be an impressive offensive and defensive unit next season. The team will add a freshman pitcher and a junior college transfer next year to help make up for the loss of Hill.

“We give them a week off, and then we start building for next year, building a foundation so we’re ready to go,” Echo-Hawk said. “Our kids know how important that one game is, or that one play or that one at-bat. Because of the disappointment they feel this year, they’re not going to let that happen next year.”

Portland State softball team awards

The Vanguard makes its selections for end-of-the-season honors:

MVP

Mandy Hill

What other player can win 18 games for you and drive in 32 RBIs? Hill, a senior, has been the heart and soul of the program since she was a sophomore. This year was no different.

Most Improved

Jana Rae Slayton

Slayton batted .204 with 16 RBIs in 2007. In 2008? Slayton worked hard all summer and came back strong. The first baseman hit .341 with five home runs and 32 RBIs. End of discussion on this one.

Newcomer of the Year

Arielle Wiser

Wiser, a freshman, came in and took over the shortstop position. Besides stellar defense, Wiser hit .327 and knocked in 21 runs. The bottom line: Others were good, but she was better.

Defensive Player

Jana Rae Slayton

It’s hard to argue with outfielder Jackie Heide’s perfect 1.000 fielding percentage, but first baseman Slayton brought it at a position that sees far more action than the outfield. Slayton, a junior, had a .995 fielding percentage and made the rest of the infield look good.

Mandy Hill career milestones

School career home run leader with 31School career RBIs leader with 137School career pitching wins leader with 672005 First-team All-PCSC (utility player)2006 Pitcher of the Year2006 First-team All-PCSC (pitcher)2007 Second-team All-PCSC (pitcher)