CHASE LOVERCHECK FINISHES SECOND IN MEN’S 800M SOFTBALL FALLS SHORT IN BIG SKY SEMIFINALS
CHASE LOVERCHECK WITH THE BIG SKY CHAMPIONSHIP MEDAL. ERIC SHELBY/PSU VANGUARD ERIC SHELBY
SOFTBALL
The Viks traveled to Ogden, Utah to defend their Big Sky conference title. They started off with the University of Montana Grizzlies in the first round. The Grizzlies scored quick in the top of the first, before Natalia Martinez homered to right field to get their first point on the board. A single by Alexa Cepeda brought Kiara McCrea home and the Viks tied it 2-2. Cepeda singled to left field in the 3rd inning and advanced to second. McCrea advanced to third and Mariah Rodriguez scored, giving the Viks a 3-2 lead. Olivia Dean scored with a sacrifice fly from Emily Johansen in the fourth inning giving the Viks a 4-2 lead. The Viks walked a batter in the following inning and allowed one run. After a hit by a pitch, Montana scored again,
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SPORTS
tying the game 4-4 until the Grizzlies took the lead in the top of the eighth leading 5-4. The Viks couldn’t get any runs in the bottom of that inning and fell to Montana in the first round. The Viks played the loser, Idaho State, in an elimination game. There were no runs for the first four innings until Johansen singled to center field, having Dean advance to second. Cepeda scored, giving the Viks their only run. Luckily, Olivia Grey held on with six hits but zero runs. She also had six strikeouts. The Bengals of Idaho State were eliminated and the Viks survived and advanced. The University of Northern Colorado Bears were the next obstacle for the defending champs. The Bears were the first to strike, scoring in the second and fourth inning, starting off 2-0. A homerun from Johansen
cut the lead in half, late in the fifth inning. Allicitie Frost doubled to right field and Grace Johnson scored, tying the game in the sixth. Bases were loaded and Dean was walked, Cepeda advanced to second, McCrea moved to third and Neveah Smith scored, taking the lead. The Viks weren’t done yet, with Johansen at bat. She tripled to left field, and Dean, Cepeda and McCrea all came home— giving the Viks a 6-2 lead. The Bears had nothing left and the Viks advanced to the semifinals to face Sacramento State Hornets. Martinez singled to left field and advanced to second and Johansen scored in the third inning, making up for the first inning homer by Sacramento State. The Hornets doubled to left field and got a run in the fourth. Ellie Babbitt responded in the seventh with a homer to tie it
up once again. This game went to extra innings. Coming in clutch, Johansen homered and got a 3-2 lead going to the bottom of the eighth inning. The Hornets scored an unearned run and tied it up once again. After a sacrifice pop up, Sacramento State got another run and won the semifinal. The Viks ended their incredible run in the semifinals. Sacramento State went on the fall to Weber State University in the final, making the Wildcats the regular season champs and postseason champs, clinching an automatic bid in the NCAA championship. The Viks finished 28-18 (10-5). They were 9-2 at home and 8-8 away. Grey finished her season with a 2.13 ERA with 18 wins and 8 losses. Johansen finished with a .344 batting average and 1.123 OPS. Logan Riggenbach finished with a .380 batting average.
PSU Vanguard • MAY 18, 2022 • psuvanguard.com
