Viks take gloves and bats to Seattle

After spending last weekend earning four wins in southeastern Idaho, Portland State softball continues conference play with a relatively short trip north to the campus of Seattle University for a pair of doubleheaders today and tomorrow.

With identical records in Pacific Coast Softball Conference play, the Vikings (17-15 overall) and Redhawks (9-25) sit in a three-way tie for second place in the PCSC’s Mountain Division standings. This weekend’s results are likely to determine whether either team can make next month’s league championship.

Along with Utah Valley, PSU and Seattle each hold 5-3 league records, putting each squad two games behind division-leading Northern Colorado. With anything less than a series win, the Vikings will be hard-pressed to make the PCSC Championship Series for the second consecutive year.

The must-win scenario should not be too intimidating for the Vikings, as the girls in green hold the clear advantage over the Redhawks. Portland State leads the overall series 12-2 and has won each of the last five meetings, including a win earlier this season during pre-conference play. The Vikings run-ruled the Redhawks 10-2 in five innings on March 12 at the University of Washington-hosted Husky Softball Classic.

Portland State swept last season’s four-game series, winning by a combined score of 18-7.

Further adding confidence to the Viking charge is PSU’s recent sweep of the weekly division honors.On Tuesday, sophomore infielder Carly McEachran and senior Nichole Latham were selected as the Mountain Division’s Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively.

McEachran hit .667 in last week’s four-game sweep of Idaho State, crossing the plate five times and also knocking in six RBIs. In league games, she is hitting .429 and currently sits in the third spot on the league tables for her .905 slugging percentage.

Latham earned the win in both of her appearances over the weekend to improve her season record to 10-7. In 10 innings, she threw 12 Ks and seven walks and gave up 11 hits on her way to a 2.80 ERA weekend. On the season, Latham holds the second-best ERA in the conference with a 1.96 mark overall.

Statistically, Portland State trumps Seattle on both sides of the ball. The Vikings hold the second-highest batting average in the conference for PCSC games at .324 and have a .491 slugging percentage. The Redhawks, meanwhile, are hitting .284 in league games, with a .377 slugging mark.

Senior shortstop Arielle Wiser leads the Vikings at the plate during conference games, where she is hitting .444 with five runs and six RBIs. In overall play, junior catcher Lacey Holm leads with a .378 batting average—the fifth highest in the PCSC. Holm enters this weekend on a six-game hitting streak, the Vikings’ longest active stretch of the season.

Seattle junior infielder Hannah Klein leads the Redhawks with a .360 overall batting average, .429 during league play.

From the pitching circle, Portland State has a 2.74 overall ERA and a 3.02 average during league games. Comparatively, Seattle is giving up an average of 6.63 earned runs overall, and 3.87 in conference games. Opponents are hitting just .239 off the Viking hurlers and .376 off the Redhawk pitchers.

Today and tomorrow’s doubleheaders are both scheduled to begin at noon on Seattle University’s Logan Field. This weekend also serves as Seattle’s final home stand of the season. After hosting Portland State, the Redhawks spend their final eight games on the road.

Live audio and stats from all four of this weekend’s games will be available on the Live Events portion of GoViks.com. ?