Montana earns first walk-off win in program history

Saturday, February 13

Davis, Calif.

11:45 AM (MT)

Montana

1-2

Sacramento State

1-2

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Montana	0	1	0	0	0	0	2	3	9	0
Sacramento State	0	0	0	0	1	4	X	5	6	1

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Santa Clara	2	1	0	0	0	0	2	0	5	7	2
Montana	0	1	2	1	0	1	0	1	6	7	3

Montana earns first walk-off win in program history

2/13/2016 11:21:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Montana Sports Information

The Montana softball team accomplished something never before seen in program history Saturday, earning a walk-off victory against Santa Clara in the afternoon game. A loss to Sacramento State in the morning kept their record at .500 for the year.

Sacramento State 5, Montana 3

In a non-conference game between Big Sky opponents, Montana lost a late lead, allowing four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning en route to the 5-3 loss.

Sophomore Alex Wardlow, who started her first career game in right field, scored Bethany Olea on a single in the second inning to put Montana ahead.

Inside the circle, Meggie Reitz started after a rough outing Friday. She pitched well, not allowing a run through her first four innings. In the fifth, she walked a batter and hit another to put the first two runners on base. Sacramento State would score their first run of the game on a wild pitch later in the inning.

She gave up a couple hits in Sacramento State's four-run sixth inning, leaving the game after five and a third allowing three hits and three runs. Colleen Driscoll came on in relief, allowing two runs in her two-thirds innings.

"Meggie had a good start, had a good bounce back outing," coach Jamie Pinkerton said. "They just got a couple hits and got on a roll, and it's one of those things we have to continue to work on as a young team. We had a close lead late, and we haven't been in situations where it's 1-0 late. It was just a spot where they experience came through."

Sacramento State was picked to finish ahead of Montana in the preseason Big Sky poll, but had been on a slide coming into the game. The Hornets had been shutout over their previous 20 innings, but Pinkerton knew they were too good of a team to hold down for long.

The Grizzlies had chances to create some distance, but the young team couldn't take advantage.

"Once again, we played well for six innings and had one big inning go against us," Pinkerton said. "It was a broken record last year, and it seems to be the case this year so far. We were cruising along, Meggie was throwing well, and we had one bad inning in the game and it cost us."

The Grizzlies managed to outhit Sacramento State 9-6, but the one inning proved to be the deciding factor.

Montana 6, Santa Clara 5 (8)

A late game breakdown defensively looked as if it may cost the Grizzlies again, but even after Santa Clara scored two runs in the top of the seventh, Montana would earn a walk-off victory in extra-innings.

Maddy Stensby started for the Grizzlies, going two and one third innings and leaving with Santa Clara ahead 3-0. After the slow start, Montana got their first run on an RBI single by Gabby Martinez in the second.

Montana scored a pair of runs in the third after Lexie Brenneis and Delene Colburn reached base on consecutive at-bats. Santa Clara intentionally walked Bethany Olea to load up the bases.

Mercedes Bourgeau stepped up next and earned two RBI's on a fielder's choice to tie the game up at three. The Grizzlies would then take the lead in the fourth with Gabby Martinez scoring on a wild pitch after reaching base on a single and stealing second.

Santa Clara used a couple wild pitches from Maddy Young and an error at second by Martinez to put together a two-run seventh to send the game into extras after Montana failed to score in the bottom of the seventh.

Freshman Sara Stephenson, who earned her first career save Friday, came on in relief again and didn't allow a run in the top of eight.

Montana started the eighth with Martinez on second with the international rules. MaKenna McGill reached on a bunt single and then stole second base to put Montana in a good position. While attempting to intentionally walk Brenneis, Santa Clara had an illegal pitch to score Martinez and end the game.

It was the first walk-off win in program history, and while it may have been anti-climactic, Pinkerton thinks his team would have won with or without the illegal pitch with Colburn and Olea coming up next with the bases loaded and no outs.

Stephenson earned the win, the first of her career after she picked up a save yesterday.

"Sara came in and did a nice job again," Pinkerton said. "In five innings she's got seven strikeouts, so she's done a good job. The runs that we are allowing is because we are getting ourselves in trouble with walks."

The Grizzly pitching staff has walked 15 batters in their first four games, a disappointing stat for a team that hasn't allowed many hits or runs.

"The staff ERA, it's only the first weekend, but the pitchers are throwing well from the standpoint of allowing hits and runs, but we're walking and hitting too many batters," Pinkerton said.
Montana has another game tomorrow morning against Cal State Bakersfield, who defeated Montana 6-3 on Friday. The Grizzlies have the chance to get their record above .500 for the first time in program history with a win.

"We just need to try to bounce back and come home from a tournament where we have a winning record," Pinkerton said. "We did it in conference series last year, but this time a year ago we were 0-4 so it would be nice to come home with some W's under our belt."