Griz rally in consecutive games, including grand slam to win
9/21/2014 12:00:00 AM | Softball
After splitting its doubleheader yesterday, the Montana Griz softball team rallied back in consecutive games Sunday at the MSU Billings Invitational to go 3-1 on the weekend.
Montana defeated Minot State 6-4 early Sunday morning, after falling into a 4-1 deficit. The Griz scored six runs on 14 hits.
"I was pleased with the team as the game progressed," head coach Jamie Pinkerton said. "We made in-game adjustments and had good plate discipline, and that fuled the comeback."
Freshmen MaKenna McGill and Lexie Brenneis both had two hits in the outing, as well as sophomore Bethany Olea. Brenneis finished with two RBIs, and Olea had one.
Carli Riordan, who got the win in Montana's second game Saturday, came in for relief of Meggie Reitz and got the win for the Griz. Riordan threw five innings, allowing only one run on two hits. She also struck out five batters.
"Carli did a great job coming in the game in the third inning and putting up goose eggs on the board," Pinkerton said. "She kept us in the game and allowed us the ability to come back for the win."
In the second game, Montana trailed 3-1 to MSU Billings before rallying for a 6-3 lead after Brenneis hit a two-out grand slam in the top of the seventh inning.
Brenneis finished the game with two hits and four RBIs. Freshman Ashlyn Lyons and Olea both had one RBI each. Gabby Martinez, a 4-foot-11 freshman from Redlands, Calif., also had two hits for the Griz.
Senior pitcher Kenzie Cole, who pitched seven shutout innings in Montana's loss Saturday, surrendered three runs (two earned) on five hits in the win. Cole finished the game with four strikeouts.
"We showed a ton of heart and fight today on the field," Cole said. "Coming from behind and being mentally tough enough to get runners on and then having Lexie go yard was so exciting."
Montana will have its first home games of the season next Sunday in Frenchtown, seeing as the Griz softball complex is undergoing construction.
The Griz will take on North Idaho at 1:15 p.m. and Carroll College at 3:30 p.m.
"There are still some small things we need to work on but we are coming together as a team sooner than I expected," Cole said. "And I think the teams with the best chemistry are the teams that make it the farthest."
