Tigers rally, top Grizzlies 7-6

Friday, February 9

Phoenix, Ariz.

Noon

Montana

0-3

Pacific

2-0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Pacific	1	0	0	0	1	0	5	7	10	1
Montana	0	3	2	0	0	1	0	6	8	0

2/9/2018 4:12:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

By: Montana Sports Information

The Montana softball team was one strike away from picking up its first win under coach Melanie Meuchel on Friday afternoon at the Grand Canyon Kickoff Tournament in Phoenix, but Pacific scored five two-out runs in the top of the seventh to rally for a 7-6 victory over the Grizzlies.

It was the second comeback win of the day for the Tigers (2-0), who scored three in the top of the seventh in their 5-4 victory over Weber State on Friday morning.

Montana (0-3) took a 6-2 lead into the seventh thanks to an offense that came to life and the pitching of freshman Tristin Achenbach, who made her collegiate debut.

The first two batters of the inning reached base, but Achenbach got the next two batters to fly out, putting the Grizzlies on the verge of victory.

Achenbach hit a batter to load the bases, then walked in a run to make it 6-3. With the bases still loaded, Samantha Owen drove a 2-2 pitch over the fence in left field to put Pacific up 7-6.

Megan Walters struck out the side in the bottom half of the inning to pick up the win for the Tigers.

The loss spoiled a nice outing by Montana's batters, who had hits in five of the first six innings, scoring runs in the second, third and sixth.

With Montana trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the second, MaKenna McGill singled through the left side to score Alex Wardlow and give McGill, who missed last season's final 34 games with a knee injury, her first RBI since March 4.

Ashlyn Lyons, who would finish the game 4 for 4, followed with a two-run single up the middle to put the Grizzlies up 3-1.

Wardlow and Dani Walker both scored in the bottom of the third on fielder's choices to give Montana a 5-1 lead.

A two-out double in the fifth pulled the Tigers within 5-2, but McGill extended Montana's lead back to four, 6-2, when she scored in the bottom of the sixth on an infield error.

She gave up the game-winning grand slam, but it was still a strong showing for Achenbach in her debut.

She allowed a run on three hits in the first but answered by setting down eight straight as Montana was building its lead.

Achenbach was replaced in the top of the seventh by Haley Young after working 6 2/3 innings. She gave up seven runs, all earned, and 10 hits while striking out six.

Lyons had half of Montana's eight hits and matched McGill with a pair of RBIs. Wardlow and McGill both scored twice.

Montana will face Weber State at 9 a.m. on Saturday, top-ranked Oklahoma at 11:30 a.m.