HILLSBORO, Ore. – Following a 21-run and 16-hit outburst in game one of a doubleheader, the Utah Valley University softball team split a pair of games at Portland State on its final day of the 2016 regular season on Wednesday evening at the Gordon Faber Recreation Complex in Hillsboro, Oregon. Behind a five-run sixth and an 11-run seventh, the Wolverines took game one, 21-6, before dropping game two by a score of 6-4.
 
The 21 runs in game one of the twin bill marks the second most runs that the Wolverines (8-41) have scored in program history and the highest output ever scored by UVU in a game against a Division I opponent.

"It was a great win and exactly what we needed heading into the WAC Tournament," head UVU coach Nikki Palmer said. "It was great to see the hitters really come alive for us today."
 
Dynasty Lauvai led the way for UVU in the game one shellacking going a perfect 3-for-3 with five runs scored and three runs batted in. Lauvai reached base all five times after notching two singles, two walks and a two-run home run. Brianna Gatlin too recorded a three-hit outing in the contest by going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored, while Brittney Vansway drove home a game-high four runs on a 2-for-4 outing.
 
The Vikings (14-30) were the first to get on the board in the opening game thanks to a three-run second inning. After loading the bases with just one away, PSU managed to work back-to-back RBI walks to take a 2-0 lead. The Vikings then added their third run of the frame on a wild pitch to make it 3-0.
 
The Wolverines then struck back with three runs of their own in the third to quickly tie the game at 3-3. After a Lauvai single and a Morgan Smith walk, Vansway later drove them both in with a two-run single to make it a 3-2 contest. Following a single from Dana De La Torre, Vansway then came around to score the tying run on a Viking fielding error. 
 
UVU then took its first lead of the game in the fourth when Lauvai blasted out a go-ahead two-run home run to left to give Utah Valley a 5-3 lead. PSU's Katherine Kramer later cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the fourth with a solo homer to left to make it a 5-4 ballgame.   
 
The game remained 5-4 until the sixth when the Wolverines scored five times to extend their lead to 10-4. Tiani Hensley and Taleigh Williams delivered the big hits in the frame, as they each came through with two-run doubles to give the Wolverines a six-run cushion.
 
After the Vikings scored twice in the last of the sixth, Utah Valley then put the game away with an 11-run seventh. The Wolverines sent a total of 17 batters to the plate in the big inning and scored 11 times on six hits and eight free passes. Vansway, Gatlin, Hensley, Williams, Eryn Sustayta, Lauvai and De La Torre all recorded RBIs in the epic frame for UVU.
 
Kelsey Ensign (2-3) earned the win in relief for Utah Valley after allowing just one run on two hits in an inning plus of action, while Meagan Hendrix (4-10) was tagged with the loss for PSU after giving up five runs in 3.1 innings.
 
Following the lopsided loss, the Vikings were once again the first to get on the scoreboard in game two as they jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in the last of the first. PSU then extended its lead to 5-0 in the third on a sacrifice fly from Kortney Craker.
 
With the bases loaded and two outs in the fourth, Vansway then pulled the Wolverines to within a run, at 5-4, with one swing of the bat by belting out a grand slam to left. The round tripper marked Vansway's team-best seventh home run of the season and gave her a total of RBIs on the day.
 
Portland State later answered back with an insurance run in the last of the fourth on a two-out RBI single from Candice Orozco to extend its advantage to 6-4.
 
The Wolverines then threatened in the sixth and loaded the bases with just one away in the seventh, but PSU's Karyn Wright managed to pitch out of both jams to help preserve the win the doubleheader split for the Vikings.
 
Wright earned the win for Portland State after going the distance in the circle to improve to 5-8, while Bailey Moore suffered the defeat for UVU after allowing four runs (only one earned) in two innings of work.
 
Despite suffering the loss, three Wolverines finished with two hits apiece in the ballgame as Smith, Williams and Kori Barrios each went 2-for-4 in game two. Melissa Masters paced PSU by going 3-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. 
 
After playing in both games on Wednesday, the senior infielder Smith tied a school record for UVU for the most career games played with 216. Smith, who is also Utah Valley's all-time leader in triples and stolen bases, is now tied atop the career games played list with former Wolverine slugger Amanda Robinson (2011-14).
 
The twin bill not only marked a conclusion to UVU's 2016 regular season but also to a weeklong seven-game road trip in the Pacific Northwest.
 
UVU will now return home to prepare for the 2016 WAC Tournament that will begin May 12-14 at Seattle University. The fifth-seeded Wolverines will open play in the opening game of the tournament against the host and fourth-seeded Seattle U Redhawks on Thursday, May 12 at 11:30 a.m. MT/10:30 a.m. PT.