Softball upsets Oklahoma State at Worth Invite
The Portland State softball team left the Worth Invitational with two more victories in the win column. Portland State may have gone 2-4 overall in the tournament, but the team played well throughout. The Vikings recorded their two wins against San Jose State and Oklahoma State.
Portland State opened the tourney with a 10-3 loss against the Ohio State Buckeyes (10-1). The Buckeyes were too quick for the Vikings, stealing six bases, three by outfielder Anna Smith.
In the Viks’ worst game of the tournament, Viking junior pitcher Morgan Seibert walked five and allowed eight runs in three and two-thirds innings.
“I probably should have taken her out sooner,” head coach Teri Mariani stated in a press release. “She wasn’t getting any breaks.”
Ohio State’s biggest play came from designated hitter Stacy Roth, who cracked a grand slam in the second inning. Her grand slam was part of a six run inning.
“We just didn’t play well against Ohio State,” Mariani added.
The Vikings were looking to get something going in their next game against San Jose State. The Vikings got on the board first, but didn’t produce another run until the fifth. With the score tied at 1-1, right-hander Nichole Ivie knocked in Monica Martell to give the Viks the lead. PSU held onto its one point lead to defeat the Spartans 2-1.
The first game of Saturday was a close one as well. Unfortunately for the Vikings the No. 10 ranked Pacific Tigers took the game 1-0. The Vikings could have upset the top ranked Tigers with the tough defense they played, but PSU couldn’t get much offense going.
“It took us awhile to get the offense going,” Mariani said of the tournament.
Portland State held Pacific to only six hits and no walks. The Tigers’ lone run came in the top of the fourth when cleanup batter Cindy Ball knocked in the run with a single to center.
Down two games to one, the lady Vikings were hoping to pull out a win against San Diego State. The Aztecs didn’t hit as well as the Vikings, but they took advantage of their timely hits and won 4-1.
“If you get nine hits you should score more than once,” Mariani said.
PSU out-hit San Diego 9-5, but without key hits they could only produce one run, while the Aztecs manufactured runs in the second, third, fifth and sixth innings. For the second time the Vikings had six bases stolen against them.
This game was a career milestone for Seibert who earned her 406th strikeout, becoming just the second PSU pitcher to reach 400.
With two days behind them the Vikings were ready to get back to business and they did with a huge upset over Oklahoma State. PSU beat Oklahoma 4-1, thanks largely to Seibert, who pitched a two hitter and had 12 K’s.
“Morgan pitched outstanding,” Mariani said. “We got the key hits we needed, but Morgan was the big key.”
The Vikings ended the Worth Invitational with a 9-1 loss against the top ranked No. 6 Cal State. The Vikings still hit the ball pretty well but couldn’t manufacture the runs they needed. Cal State had already lost to Oklahoma earlier in the tourney, a team that PSU had just upset.
“We just had crucial mistakes,” Mariani explained.
The Vikings will be on the road again this weekend at the Holiday Inn Invitational in Kansas.
