The Vikings softball team needed a sweep against the University of North Dakota in the last weekend of regular-season play to have a chance at the conference championship, and they did exactly that, outscoring their opponents 17-3 in three games on the road.
Softball claims share of Big Sky title
The Vikings softball team needed a sweep against the University of North Dakota in the last weekend of regular-season play to have a chance at the conference championship, and they did exactly that, outscoring their opponents 17-3 in three games on the road.
Idaho State University, the other team in contention for the title, also took care of business, getting the two wins they needed against California State University, Sacramento, to ensure that the Vikings wouldn’t sneak past them at the finish line. The two schools will share the 2013 regular-season championship.
The Bengals won the season series against Portland State and with it the privilege of hosting the inaugural Big Sky softball tournament. Despite just missing the chance to host, the Vikings went out with a bang in the regular season, and will go into the tournament with plenty of momentum.
“It’s a big compliment to our girls to win a partial share of the Big Sky,” head coach Tobin Echo-Hawk said. “That’s a huge accomplishment, and I couldn’t be more proud.”
Anna Bertrand took care of the circle for the Vikings, throwing two complete games in the Friday doubleheader. The senior did not give up a single earned run through all 14 innings and allowed just five hits.
North Dakota got on the board in the first game with a run in the bottom of the second, but the Vikings quickly responded. Sophomore first baseman Brittany Hendrickson drove in the first run of the weekend for PSU with a single that brought senior second baseman Carly McEachran across the plate. Junior third baseman Crysta Conn then reached safely on an error that allowed Becca Bliss to score. The Vikings got another run on a solo shot by Alicia Fine in the fourth, and put the game out of reach when Becca Bliss slammed a two-run homer in the seventh.
“Even though we’re down early, we’re checking back in and doing the little things we needed to do,” Echo-Hawk said. “We continue to be confident regardless of the score and inning.”
Game 2 was all about defense, as Bertrand shut down the North Dakota lineup for the victory. The Viking hitters cooled down, getting only one run on 10 hits, but it proved to be enough. Bertrand sealed the game with a strikeout to give PSU a shot at the Big Sky title in the final game on Saturday.
The Vikings didn’t waste the opportunity, coming through with a dominant 11-2 win. As they did in the opening game of the weekend, North Dakota jumped out to an early lead, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first. But the Vikings came back with four runs in the second to take the lead and never looked back.
North Dakota was still in the game until the sixth, when the Vikings exploded for five more runs, including a grand slam by Hendrickson. The Vikings earned another run before the end of the sixth and two more in the seventh to take the win.
PSU now gets ready for the Big Sky tournament this weekend in Pocatello, Idaho, scheduled for May 9–11. Regardless of the setting, the team is ready for whatever comes their way.
“It is a bummer [that we’re] not hosting, but we’re still co-champs,” Echo-Hawk said, “It doesn’t matter where we play—it’s a matter of winning those games.”
