Griz split against Power Five opponents

Friday, March 10

Tulsa, Okla.

9:30 AM (MT)

Montana

8-13

Texas Tech

12-10

Texas Tech

Montana

Photo by: Bill Jarvis

3/10/2017 9:32:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Montana Sports Information

Montana defeated Texas Tech and fell to No. 19 California on Friday on day two of the Golden Hurricane Classic at Tulsa, Okla.

The Grizzlies (8-14) built a 7-2 lead against the Red Raiders through four innings and held on for an 8-5 victory in their opener.

Against the ranked Bears, Montana trailed 1-0 going into the sixth before giving up a six spot in the bottom half of the inning. California would win the game 7-0.

The split gives Montana a 1-2 record at the tournament and 8-14 mark overall.

After falling behind 1-0 against Texas Tech, Montana would load the bases in the first, second and third innings but score just three runs.

The Grizzlies went 0 for 7 in the first three innings with the bases loaded, instead scoring when Sydney Stites was hit by a pitch in the second and twice in the third on a passed ball and wild pitch.

With the bases loaded once again in the fourth, Anne Mari Petrino came through with a single to right, followed by another single to right field by Gabby Martinez that made it 7-2.

With one out and the bases still loaded and a chance to blow the game open, MaKenna McGill grounded into an inning-ending double play.

After Texas Tech pulled to within 7-5 in the fifth on a three-run home run off Haley Young, who had relieved starter Colleen Driscoll in the fourth, Michaela Hood came in and worked out of a jam with runners on second and third and no outs.

She forced an infield popup, then back-to-back groundouts to end the threat.

Hood worked a quick sixth and seventh to pick up her second win of the season.

"We got started off their first pitcher and started to build some confidence at the plate. As their other pitchers came in, we were able to continue it," said coach Jamie Pinkerton.

"We were fortunate to build a big enough lead, because we got a little shaky in the middle innings. But Michaela came in and did a good job of closing things down."

With Montana holding a 7-5 lead, Madison Saacke led off the bottom of the sixth with a solo home run, her third of the month. The junior catcher had just one entering the season.

"What was even more impressive about that homer was that she hit it into the teeth of a 20-mile-per-hour wind. She caught it square and hit a line drive. It was no cheapie," said Pinkerton.

"That was a big run. Anytime you can go up by three late in the game, it gives you a little cushion. It was a big lift for us."

Saacke, Petrino and Bethany Olea all had a pair of hits in the win, with Saacke scoring twice.

Playing its fourth game this spring against a ranked opponent in California, Montana played its fourth solid game.

The Grizzlies lost to No. 5 Oregon 1-0 on Feb. 24 in Hawaii and were in a 2-2 game with No. 16 Utah going into the sixth inning last weekend at St. George, Utah.

Montana didn't have a hit through the first five innings against the Bears -- the Grizzlies did use a pair of one-out walks to threaten in the fourth to no avail -- but starter Maddy Stensby kept her team in the game.

California went small ball to open the scoring in the third. A leadoff bunt single was followed by a ground out and passed ball that put the leadoff runner on third base. She scored on another bunt single.

After Stensby allowed a two-out single in the fourth and then walked two to load the bases, Pinkerton made the call to Sara Stephenson, who forced a ground out to get Montana out of the inning.

Olea doubled with two outs in the sixth, but Delene Colburn was unable to drive her in, and that allowed the Bears to put the game away in the bottom half of the inning.

After allowing a one-out double, Stephenson got a strike out, putting the Grizzlies one batter away from taking a one-run game into the seventh.

Instead the next seven batters reached base, four by hit, three by walk. When the inning, which included a pair of pitching changes, from Stephenson to Hood and Hood to Young, was over, it was 7-0.

"I was proud of the way we played, but the old bugaboo came up and got us. We have to figure out a way to finish innings," said Pinkerton, whose team is 8 for 34 this season with the bases loaded.

"Right now two things plague us. First is hitting with the bases loaded. The pressure is on the opponent in that situation, but we're putting it on ourselves. We've got to find a way to fight through that. The same thing with pitching. When you get two outs in an inning, the pressure is on them."

Montana loaded the bases with one out in the top of the seventh, which would have led to some high drama had it been a 1-0 game. A pair of strikeouts ended things as senior pitcher Stephanie Trzcinski finished off the complete-game three-hitter.

"We played well except for one inning, and we played well against another ranked team," said Pinkerton. "If we don't let that inning roll up, we load the bases with one out in the seventh and all of a sudden that becomes a game we can possibly win."

Olea, Ashlyn Lyons and Dani Walker had the lone hits for Montana. Stensby took the loss despite giving up just one run through three and 2/3 innings.

Montana is scheduled to play Wichita State on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. (MT), though with rain expected all day Saturday in the Tulsa area, that could change.