Portland State’s softball team finished 2-2 at the Kansas Holiday Inn Invitational this past weekend, defeating Indiana State, splitting a pair with the Princeton Tigers and losing to host Kansas.
Game 1 was all about junior Morgan Seibert, who pitched a complete game and had 10 strikeouts. Seibert only allowed two earned runs in the Vikings 5-2 victory over Indiana State. This is the third time this season Seibert has had 10 or more K’s in a game, totaling 61 on the season.
The second game of the doubleheader was not as good for the Vikings, who struggled in the field, committing four errors. The Vikings had junior Megan Herscher on the mound in their 3-2 loss to Princeton. Herscher has had a tough start this season going 0-4. The southpaw allowed eight hits in 6 2/3 innings, but didn’t walk or give up a single earned run against Princeton.
Saturday’s games were canceled due to extremely cold and windy conditions. The Vikings’ games with Princeton and Kansas were rescheduled for the following day. The only effect was the tournament bracket was thrown out and teams were allowed to complete their scheduled games.
Once competition resumed Sunday, Portland State took control. The Vikings looked to get revenge against the Princeton Tigers and they did behind Seibert’s three-hitter game. Seibert, 4-4, pitched a complete game with seven strikeouts and two walks in the Vikings 3-1 win over the Tigers.
The Vikings offense got the bats swinging against Princeton, banging out 10 hits against the 4-2 Tigers. The most damage done for the Vikings came from junior Megumi Hackett and senior Vanessa Applegate. The two combined and went 5-for-7 with one run and one RBI.
The Vikings continued to struggle with the second half of the doubleheaders, dropping the game to Kansas 5-0. Portland State never found focus at the plate with only three hits against Jayhawk, Serena Settlemier. PSU’s Nichole Ivie allowed five earned runs on nine hits and stayed on the mound for the entire game. The junior right-hander dropped to 1-2 in the loss to the Jayhawks and PSU dropped to 5-10.
With tournament play behind them, the Vikings return to Oregon to face the Oregon State Beavers in a doubleheader in Corvallis on March 15.