Softball forces extras, falls to Portland State

Saturday, April 3

Greeley, Colo.

12:00 pm

University of Northern Colorado

6-19, 2-4

Portland State

4-19, 1-5

Portland State

Northern Colorado

Photo by: Dean Popejoy

4/3/2021 2:53:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

Natalie Joyner's solo home run in the seventh forced extras

By: By Ryan Pfeifer, UNCBears.com

GREELEY, Colo. – Northern Colorado battled back late to force extra innings, but Portland State's bats got hot in extras to get the 9-6 getaway day victory. The Bears still won the three-game series after sweeping Friday's doubleheader.

Portland State struck first in the top of third pushing across one run. That 1-0 lead did not last long.

Natalie Joyner and Lauren Strathern reached safely to begin the bottom half of the inning. Joyner doubled over the right fielders head to lead off the inning and Strathern put a pair on beating out an infield single.

Paola Villegas brought the two home with a rope to the wall in left center for a two-RBI double.

Dani Young put UNC back in the lead in the fourth after the Vikings tied it at two in the top half of the inning. She hit her second home run in as many days a solo bomb over the left center wall.

Joyner had the late inning heroics with her solo home run to lead off the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings. The Vikings went up 4-3 in the fifth and shut down the UNC bats until the home run.

PSU's bats caught fire in the eighth scoring five runs on five hits to put the Bears into another hole.

Northern Colorado never said die with back-to-back singles to start the bottom of the eighth. Alyssa Wenzel and Dani Young came around to score on Joyner's two-out single to keep the game going, but it wasn't enough as PSU got the last out stranding Joyner.

Game Notes
- Natalie Joyner had a big day at the plate going 3-4 with two runs scored, three RBI. She hit her first home rune and double of the year.
- Dani Young finished off a strong performance with a 3-4 day. She had her second home run in as many days and scored twice.
- Lauren Strathern and Paola Villegas each had two-hit days.

What's Ahead
Northern Colorado closes out its homestand when Montana comes to Gloria Rodriguez Field April 9-10.

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