The brooms clutched by elated players and the Gatorade bath for head coach Amy Hayes following the final game of the crucial series against Loyola Marymount told the story.
The Vikings had finally put the finishing touches on a memorable regular season and were crowned Pacific Coast Softball Conference Champions on Saturday. Portland State swept the defending PCSC champions in the pivotal three game series to claim their first PCSC championship and an automatic NCAA Tournament berth.
After suffering a heartbreaking sweep at Sacramento State last weekend the Vikings were against the wall. Facing a scenario that forced them to complete their postponed series against Loyola Marymount and leaving them without any room for error, the pressure was more than apparent for the Viks. If they slipped up just once their memorable season would come to a premature end, providing the Viks with just one more reason to take the field and dominate.
“It is going to be tense,” said Hayes. “You put the big target on your back and have to win three. We did not have a good showing in Sacramento, you never know how someone is going to regroup after that and it took us a couple of days to do it. It was just a big win for us. Loyola Marymount won this thing last year, so for us to knock them off was just another hanky in our pockets.”
Even with the significance of the series and mounting pressure the Vikings returned to their dominating form against Loyola Marymount when it really mattered. Preserving their perfect 14-0 record at Erv Lind Stadium this season, the Viks took advantage of a powerful offense and superb pitching performances by sophomore right-hander Mandy Hill and senior right-hander Michelle Hext to win both games on Friday and the finale on Saturday.
“I knew we could do it, but I wasn’t sure if they believed,” said Hayes. “But they proved that they did and it is so special. My hats off to them, they have done such a great job this year. I told them to remember day one of practice because it was a little hectic and a little sketchy but they have completely turned it around, they have done a great job.”
In game one Hill took the mound and led the Viks to victory as only she can. On the mound Hill pitched a two-hit shutout and struck eight on her way to her twenty-second victory of the season. However, in her unique manner she also contributed at the plate, partaking in back-to-back homeruns with junior left fielder Kimi Daniel in the sixth inning. The homeruns gave both Hill and Daniel their tenth of the season and guided the Viks to a 3-0 victory in the opening game of the series.
With the jitters of the first game behind the Viks took the field for the series’ second match up. Hext, the veteran of the Viking’s pitching staff, started the game on the mound. In another impressive pitching performance by the Viks, Hext struck out six and only allowed four hits to control the Lion’s offensive attack before it was even in full swing. With pitching obviously accounted for the Viks turned their attention to the offensive side of the ball, accumulating six hits over the course of the game. On this night the Viks powerful offense wasn’t needed, just timely hitting.
A primary contributor to their timely hitting attack was junior third baseman Katie Stokes, who knocked Kimi Daniel home from second base on a fly ball to right field that dropped in front of the defender. Freshman second baseman Jamee Rauch gave the Viks a boost on the base pads, scoring on an RBI ground out in the sixth inning. Portland State ended the nightcap on Friday victorious by a score of 2-0, making a huge step toward their game of becoming conference champions.
With two Viking victories in the books, Portland State’s season would be decided in one seven-inning affair. Hayes decided to start the versatile Hill for this meaningful game, believing that the offense was more formidable with her bat in the middle of the lineup.
“We have a stronger hitting lineup when Mandy is on the mound,” said Hayes. “We can get Stephanie Bean in the lineup also.”
With their season on the line the Viks came out determined in every facet of the game. Hill allowed one run in the bottom of the first inning but compensated with a three-run shot in the top half, giving the Viks a 3-1 lead and bringing her homerun total to 11. The Viks ended the game with a respectable eight hits, including major contributions from Rauch and junior third baseman Katie Stokes, who went 2-for-4 on the day. During the fourth inning the Vikings compiled another offensive outburst once again led by Hill, who added a two-run single to give the Viks three runs during the inning.
While the Viks were taking care of business on the mound, Hill and the defense behind her were consistently shutting down the Lion’s offensive assault. The Portland State defense was great the entire game, making sensational play after sensational play. The hitting was important and the pitching was solid but the defense really made the difference in this crucial game. While the Viks were capitalizing on Loyola’s four errors, they remained perfect in the fielding by not committing any errors of their own.
As the seventh inning loomed the excitement of both the players and fans began to rise in the confines of Erv Lind Stadium. Appropriately, Hayes opted to insert Hext to close out the final inning of the game, allowing the senior to obtain her final inning of experience at her home stadium and play a significant role in the Viks postseason clinching game.
“We knew that if we needed to go two and throw them both we would,” said Hayes. “She is a senior and deserves to be out there.”
After the game the players were ecstatic because they had just played and won the most important games in their lives. Hill, one of the essential components of the series and of the Viking’s success this season, was especially excited.
“It was a huge game,” said Hill. “I had some jitters in the beginning, but we came through. I just wanted that championship so bad, I knew the defense was going to be there and we were going to hit the ball, we were going to get it. I can’t even explain it, we have come so far from last year and the beginning of this year. It is like a dream come true, we won conference, we are going to get the big rings to show it off. We are so excited, I am just so happy.”
Although this series was the most important of the season so far, the Viks have some vital games left on the postseason schedule. The Vikings advanced to their first NCAA Division I Softball Regional and earning the third seed in the Corvallis Regional with number one seed Oregon State, number two seed Baylor and fourth seed Nevada. Portland State will resume play and open the three-day event against Baylor on Friday at 1 p.m. at the OSU Softball Complex.