Portland State University’s softball team began the OUTRIGGER Classic with a 9-0 win over Mercyhurst at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium in Honolulu. The game ended after five innings due to the run-rule.
Sherreigh Nakoa-Chung, a senior from Waianae, pitched for Portland State and limited Mercyhurst to one hit while striking out four batters. She allowed only two baserunners through the first four innings.
Breanna Lutz gave Portland State an early lead in the first inning with a sacrifice fly that scored Grace Johnson. The score remained 1-0 until the fifth inning when Alison Harris led off with a double. Johnson then drove in Jolee Benson, and Lutz added an RBI double to increase the lead to 3-0. Additional runs came from a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch, a passed ball, and RBIs by Gracie Toney, Harris, and Sofia Peato, bringing the total to nine runs.
Nakoa-Chung closed out the game in the bottom of the fifth inning, securing Portland State’s first run-rule victory of the season. The Vikings recorded nine hits overall, with six coming during their rally in the fifth inning. Harris and Lutz each had two hits.
Portland State is scheduled to play Mercyhurst again tomorrow at Rainbow Wahine Stadium before facing Hawai’i later in the day.
