The Portland State women’s softball team (18-31, 9-7 PCSC)earned their first win over a ranked opponent in two years beforedropping the nightcap by a disappointing score of 10-0. The OregonState Beavers (39-18, 3-9 Pac-10) won the season series between thetwo schools, 3-1.
Oregon State has been ranked in the national polls all seasonand is 2-0 against PSU this year. The No. 16 Beavers’ recipe forsuccess is pitching and power, both were quite evident in Game2.
Wednesday’s games at the Erv Lind Stadium turned out to be asplit for the Viks.
Senior Erin Stokey tied Portland State’s career home run recordand junior Kayla Lewis hit a go-ahead three-run blast, helping theVikings’ to a 4-2 Game 1 win over No. 18 Oregon State.
Down by 2 in the sixth, Stokey led off with her seventhhome run of the season and 12th of her Portland State career, tyingNichole Ivie (2000-03) for first on the all-time list. After asingle by junior Rose Rutledge, senior third baseman Annie Pecciawalked off of OSU starter Monica Hoffman.
Lewis stepped up to the plate, greeting reliever Ta’TyanaMcElroy with her fourth round tripper of the season, putting theViks up 4-2.
Sophomore Michelle Hext (11-4) pitched her secondthree-hitter for the win, striking out five and walking two, notallowing one earned run. Hoffman (18-11), OSU’s senior ace, allowedthree runs on five hits in five innings of play.
In Game 2 Oregon State dominated the game all around as theBeavers put six runs on the board in the top of the first inning,slamming out seven hits and batting around in the frame. Vanessastood out in the offensive outbreak with a two run homer.
Portland State junior Vanessa Holm (3-10) worked just two-thirdsof an inning and was charged with the loss. Holm wasn’t the stopperPortland State needed, allowing six runs – four earned – on sixhits. Freshman Christy Hess finished out the game for the Viks,allowing four runs on 12 hits in 4.1 innings.
Brianne McGowan (10-3) had a better game, pitching a four-hitshutout for the Beavers, walking two and striking out four. TheVikings wrap up their Pacific Coast Softball Conference season thisweekend with a four-game set against second-place Loyola MarymountLions(28-12, 11-5).
The Lions took a four-game series from Sacramento State lastweekend. They are currently in second place, just one game behindSanta Clara and one game ahead of the Hornets. The Lions bat .335as a team overall and .323 presently in the PCSC games. With anaverage of more than one home run per game, the Lions have aslugging percentage of .540. The two sides will play doubleheaderson Saturday and Sunday, starting at 12 p.m., at Erv LindStadium.