The Weber State University softball team lost in a three-game series over the weekend to defending champion Portland State University.
In the first game of Friday’s doubleheader, the Wildcats fell 5-2.
The Vikings got on the board early, scoring two runs off of a double to right field from freshman Lauran Bliss in the first inning.
The Wildcats tied up the game in the third inning. After two singles, junior Brooke Silva hit a double to left field, scoring two runs.
In the fifth inning, PSU scored three runs. Senior Sadie Lopez drove in one run off of a double to center field. Lopez scored, along with another run off of a line-drive single from senior Carly McEachran.
Both teams had five hits in the game, yet the Wildcats left six runners on base in the game. There were no errors.
In the second game on Friday, the Wildcats dropped the game 10-3.
The Vikings again got off to an early lead, scoring four runs in the first inning, including a single from sophomore Alicia Fine, scoring two.
The Wildcats got on the board in the third inning. Junior Desiree Mejia brought in two runs off of a double to right field.
After giving up a run in the fourth inning, the Wildcats gave up four more in the sixth inning. The inning was capped off with a two-run home run off of the bat of Bliss.
The Wildcats attempted a comeback in the bottom of the sixth, scoring a run, but were unable to score anymore as they left three runners on base in the inning.
Mejia went 2-4 in the game, with two RBIs for WSU. Fine had two hits, scoring once and driving in three runs for PSU.
“It just wasn’t our best weekend,” said head coach Tina Johnson. “We kind of have a little cycle where we’ll play really well, do really well on defense, have some great games, then we kind of have the wheels fall off a little bit. Hopefully this is that weekend where the wheels fall off, then the rest of the season we’re good.”
In Saturday’s game, the Wildcats again fell behind early and lost 9-2.
After giving up a single and two walks, the Wildcats gave up two runs off of a double from sophomore Brittany Hendrickson.
The Wildcats responded in the bottom of the first, as Silva hit a home run to left center field. That was the only hit of the game for the Wildcats, as PSU played stingy defense.
McEachran drove in two runs in the top of the second off of a single to right field. Hendrickson added to the lead for the Vikings in the third inning, with a home run to left center field.
Hendrickson got another home run in the seventh inning, and the Vikings added another, putting the game out of reach.
Hendrickson finished 4-4, with three runs scored and four RBIs. McEachran added three hits for PSU.
Johnson talked about using this game against the defending conference champs to gauge where her team is.
“Portland State is a great team, and we feel like, given another day, if we play good ball, we could really go after them,” she said. “Our team definitely feels now, ‘Hey, if that’s the best, we’ve got this and we’ll be good.’ I think now, if this is the best our conference has to offer us, we definitely are going to compete.”
The Wildcats will return to action Tuesday with a doubleheader against in-state team Utah Valley University. The games will be at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. at the Wildcat Softball Field.
Saturday’s game was the annual Swing for Life Game, which was able to raise more than $100 in donations for the Huntsman Cancer Institute.
