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PSU softball

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pdxfan

Active member
Spring is in the air - it's softball season! We've gotten a good start at the Kajikawa Classic, going 2-2 (the wins are Cal Poly and McNeese State, the losses are Stanford and San Diego State). In a couple hours we're playing Utah for the last game there. We're looking good so far, though we'll miss Latham and Wise. I hope our new freshman pitcher comes on fast. Freshman Hendrickson looks good at starting shortstop. We're hitting well. Looks like a promising season.
 
While we're at it, what would it take to add softball as a line item here? It's becoming a Big Sky sport next year. Right now this "other sports" category is used only for general university topics, not sports. And what about volleyball?
 
Freshman Raya Johnson was introduced yesterday, pitching to Hawaii. She didn't last the first inning, shelled by hits, BBs, hit hitters, giving up 6 runs and finally pulled for Bernard. A miserable way to start one's career. But she was pitching to one of the better teams in the nation, and they were quick to take advantage of the inexperience. She'll eventually get better, one hopes. We only have two pitchers without her, one of those normally playing first base.
 
Alas, yesterday our first baseman as pitcher turned out to be as inept as Johnson, giving up 5 runs to Texas Tech in the first inning. Bernard as usual came in and staunched the blood. But the five runs were enough to beat us. Today its Long Beach State. Part of me says give it to Johnson for the experience, but I guess this time Bernard will go from start to finish. If so, we'll probably win.
 
After holding us scoreless for three innings, Long Beach State pitching collapsed in the 4th and we poured in 8 runsaround a home run by McEachran. We hit their pitcher again in the 5th, with four runs this time around a home run by Holladay. Following the rules, the game was ended on the bottom of the 5th with the score 12-1. Not a bad ending to the tournament; we ended up 2 - 3. We're getting good play out of our freshmen; so far in the season we're getting very few errors, and they've been on upperclassmen. To top it off, freshman Raya Johnson came in for the last inning and put them down 1-2-3. It would do wonders for your confidence to have 12 runs backing you up.
 
The Vikings got the expected win over Santa Clara today, 8-3 with an impressive 18 hits. Holladay pitched four innings - collected 6 hits and 3 runs but did the job of holding down the runs while we blasted away. Bernard came in for the last three innings - picked up one hit and five strikeouts. She's very very good - we would be struggling without her. Unless Johnson comes on she's going to have to pitch nearly every game, which is scary. Nearly everyone got at least one hit, and most with two. The only weakness, the errors of freshmen Hendrickson and Fine at shortstop. Between them they had three. Freshmen will be freshmen, but three is a bit much. Tomorrow against Sac State will be interesting. Sac State is sitting in second in the Coastal Division (should have called it the Sunshine Division). I'd go with Bernard for Sac State and Johnson for St. Mary in the second game. Johnson needs the experience - someone has got to be available to spell Bernard.
 
Is anyone following softball? It's sure been more exciting than the women's basketball team. Today we split with St. Mary and Bakersfield The St. Mary game ended on an odd note. Two out in the last inning, we're behind by one, two out then a single. Martin - a new player - comes on and hits a second single keeping our chances alive - but wait, Martin wasn't reported to the home plate umpire when she came in. So her single doesn't count and she's out. We've had errors by 3rd base, shortstop and second base, but this is a first for the coach! She's going to have a hard time living that down, and most likely won't ever do it again.

The second game with Sac State was a classic; tied one and one, Holladay slams a solo homer in the sixth and Johnson shuts them down in the seventh. That's a first collegiate win for freshman Johnson; she went the distance. Looks like she's settled down. Too much to expect that she's another Bernard, but she looked like it today. Well done, Johnson!
 
After dropping a very close one to Boise State 5-6, the Vikings came back today to destroy Utah State 10-2 with home runs by Holladay and Fine and 3-4 by Hendrickson. No errors for us in the game (Utah State committed 3). It's too bad Johnson couldn't stay the distance (she was pulled at the end of three) but she just hasn't got the control yet. Five walks in three innings. Still, only two runs were scored against her - Bernard had to swallow three in the last four innings. Bernard got the win. This season hangs on Johnson developing fast. I can't see Bernard taking every game from here on in. Next year will be easier, with a more confident and experienced Johnson on board along with Bernard and a third very good freshman (can't remember the name) coming in.
 
Next year's freshman pitcher is Karyn Wright, from West Hills, California. ESPN had her as the 28th best pitcher in California (78th best in the nation). Looking forward to next year!
 
We're well into conference now, with a 6-2 record and in first place in the Mountain Division, though not by much. There are a couple teams only a win or two behind us. Bernard is pitching her usual spectacular games - she's already won five Pitcher of the Week awards in the conference, just short of a conference record. And she still has another year to go The problem anticipated from the beginning of this season is a dearth of pitchers, however. Bernard can't pitch them all. Our only backup is Raya Johnson, a freshman. She looks good, but makes the usual freshman mistakes. The question is how fast she can get up to D-I level. The answer is, it looks like pretty soon. After a couple miserable games in the beginning, she seems to be settling down. She pitched three and four innings in today's games against ISU, and didn't allow a run. She's pitched two full games of conference play, won one and lost the other -which she should have won, the result of a couple fielding errors. I think we're ok on pitching for the rest of the season. We do need to strengthen our batting. It's about a "B" now, and will have to be an "A" if we're going to win conference.
On to Northern Colorado!
 
In case anyone is watching, PSU is one game up in first place in softball. Bernard pitched a spectacular second game - in ten innings she struck out 9 and allowed only one hit. Despite this Seattle won 1-0 on an unearned run. We split today - hope we can take both of them tomorrow. It will be a beautiful day tomorrow - time to go to the ball game!
 
We did indeed sweep yesterday! We're now one full game ahead of Weber State. It all hangs on next weekend's season-ending four games against the challenger, Weber State. All we have to do is split with them, but it would be nice to have a cushion. I'd guess we'll use Bernard the first two, maybe three, games then give Johnson a chance to win one.

At the beginning of the season the coaches pegged us for first in the Mountain Division. It may work out that way, but it's been tough with only one pitcher to depend on. Weber's got only one too, but she's not as good as Bernard. They depend on their hitting, which is certainly impressive. If Bernard can close them down, we're home free.
 
Here we go, folks, a series with Weber State to determine the division. Our pitching against their hitting. I might add, if Weber continues its tendency for fielding errors - that's going for us as well. Weather's fine. Time to go the ball game at Irv Lind Field - let's cheer them on!
 
We took the first two games from Weber today, which means no worse than a split, which means we take the Mountain Division. Congrats, Vikings! It was a pitching duel, with Bernard coming out on top, shutting down the Weber heavy hitters. We didn't do much better, but it was enough. In the second game Bernard had 9 strikeouts, at one point six Ks in a row. Tomorrow we'll probably at least start Johnson to give Bernard a rest. No telling who we'll face in the "California" Division - St Marys or San Diego,most likely. We met St Marys once in preseason, lost 1-2. But that was a ways back.
 
PSU won the first game of the PCSC playoffs against St. Mary 6 to 1. Hendrickson and Bliss hit home runs. Bernard pitched the 7 innings, scattering 5 hits while stiking out 5. Bernard did a superb job against the strongest hitting team in the conference. The fact that we made no errors while St. Mary made three made a difference. The playoff is 2 out of 3; tomorrow we've got to keep up the good work. If we win, it's off to the NCAA regionals!
 
PSU GOES TO THE NCAA REGIONALS. Bernard pitched a three hit 8 strikeout 1-0 shutout today to win the PCSC Champsionship. Chosen this week as the Mountain West Division Pitcher of the Year, putting two on in the third with no outs Bernard somehow managed to get out the inning with no runs. We managed a run in the sixth, all that was necessary. The entire game was as tight as that. When do the Regionals begin?
 
pdxfan said:
PSU GOES TO THE NCAA REGIONALS. Bernard pitched a three hit 8 strikeout 1-0 shutout today to win the PCSC Champsionship. Chosen this week as the Mountain West Division Pitcher of the Year, putting two on in the third with no outs Bernard somehow managed to get out the inning with no runs. We managed a run in the sixth, all that was necessary. The entire game was as tight as that. When do the Regionals begin?
Click to expand...

:clap: Nice job Viks! On to the NCAA tourney!
 
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