FULLERTON, Calif. – After dropping its first five games of the week, including an 8-3 contest to Wichita State earlier in the day, the Utah Valley University softball team bounced back with an 8-5 win over Portland State on Saturday afternoon at Cal State Fullerton's Anderson Family Field.
 
The Wolverines improved to 6-10 on the season with the victory while the Vikings fell to 5-8 with the loss.
 
"The team did a great job rallying back from the start of a tough weekend to come together and get the win over Portland State," head coach Nikki Palmer said. "Some hot bats, consistent pitching and solid defense helped propel us to the victory."
 
Freshman catcher Cera Stanley led UVU at the plate in the game by going went 2-for-4 with a home run, a double and five RBIs. Fellow freshmen Breezy Roth and Taleigh Williams were next as they went 3-for-4 with a run scored and 1-for-4 with two runs batted in and two runs scored, respectively. 
 
UVU didn't waste any time getting on the scoreboard against PSU as it scored three runs in the top of the first inning. Williams and Stanley delivered the big hits in the frame for the Wolverines as Williams came through with an RBI single and Stanley followed with a two-RBI double down the left field line.
 
After PSU scored a run in the second, Utah Valley answered in the third by plating four more to take a 7-1 lead. Stanley once again came through in the inning with her first collegiate home run -- a three-run shot -- while Williams added an RBI fielder's choice.
 
PSU wouldn't go away, however, as it scored a run of its own in the third and three more in the fourth to pull within 7-5. The Wolverines then answered with an insurance run in the sixth, thanks to an RBI single from freshman Jaylen Watson to extend its lead to 8-5 and freshman Makayla Shadle slammed the door on the Viking offense down the stretch to record her first collegiate save on in relief.
 
Sophomore Bailey Moore (4-6) started in the circle and earned the victory for the Wolverines as she went four-plus innings and allowed just two earned runs (five total) while striking out six. Shadle then preserved the win for UVU by putting up zeros over the final three innings. Shadle allowed just two hits and struck out two over the final three frames en route to the save.
 
The win for UVU avenged an earlier season loss to PSU, as the Wolverines previously dropped a 10-0 decision to the Vikings two weeks ago. 
 
The contest was part of the Long Beach Louisville Slugger Invitational, which is co-hosted by Long Beach State and Cal State Fullerton.
 
The Wolverines will conclude the Long Beach Louisville Slugger Invite on Sunday. UVU will take on in-state foe Southern Utah at Long Beach State's 49er Softball Complex at 10 a.m. MT/9 a.m. PT. Following Sunday's game versus SUU, Utah Valley will head to Lubbock, Texas, next weekend for five games at the Texas Tech Invitational.