Montana falls in heartbreaker

Sunday, February 10

Sacramento, Calif.

10:30 AM (MT)

Montana

1-4

CSU Bakersfield

2-1

Montana

CSU Bakersfield

2/10/2019 3:08:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

By: Montana Sports Information

The Montana softball team carried a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth on Sunday morning in its game against Cal State Bakersfield at Sacramento State's Shea Stadium, but the Roadrunner would rally to win 3-2 in the Grizzlies' final game of the season-opening NorCal Kickoff.

Bakersfield got a two-out infield single in the sixth off Griz starter Michaela Hood to pull even and a two-out single to center in seventh, also off Hood, to win it.

Montana left nine on base for the game and had the bases loaded with one out in the top of the seventh but was unable to score. That threat ended when the Grizzlies hit into a double play.

"We had our chances," said coach Melanie Meuchel. "We came out and played decent, but I think some of our youth in general kind of came through at the end."

Montana opened the scoring in the top of the third with a pair of runs on four hits.

Lexi Knauss led off the inning with a single. She scored when Cami Sellers followed with a double to center. After a strikeout, Maygen McGrath tripled to right to plate Sellers, and the Grizzlies led 2-0.

McGrath was later cut down trying to steal home. Montana also had a runner thrown out at third in the first inning when Maddy Stensby tried to advance two bases on a McGrath single to right.

"We made some base-running mistakes and some other miscues here and there," said Meuchel. "Part of that is not being out on a field very much yet. But I really like some things about this team."

Hood pitched herself out of trouble throughout the game. She survived a bases-loaded jam in the first without allowing a run and got back-to-back strikeouts with two on in the third, after the Roadrunners had made it 2-1.

Bakersfield had a runner in scoring position in the fourth and fifth innings, but Hood left them stranded.

The Roadrunners opened the sixth with a leadoff double and had that runner on third with two outs. An infield single tied the game at 2-2.

Knauss and Sellers led off the seventh with walks, putting the go-ahead run in scoring position with nobody out. The Grizzlies loaded the bases with one out when McGrath, who batted .385 in her first collegiate tournament, was hit by a pitch.

Facing CSUB's fourth pitcher of the day, Jessica McAlister hit into a pitcher-to-catcher-to-first double play that ended the threat.

The winning run in seventh came off a one-out walk. After a stolen base, Hood got a key strikeout. But the next batter would single to center on a 2-0 pitch to end it.

After opening the tournament with a 3-0 victory over Santa Clara on Friday, Montana dropped four straight to finish 1-4. The Grizzlies lost 2-1 to UC Davis on Friday and 3-2 to Bakersfield on Sunday.

Montana gave up 21 runs in two games on Saturday, falling to UC Santa Barbara and UC Davis.

"We were tested in a lot of ways this weekend, whether it was the travel getting here or (Saturday's weather delays) or just the newness," said Meuchel. "We saw a lot of things we can control and make better.

"We're wanting it to come quickly, but we are still very new. We need to keep working to understand each other better and understand the game and the pace we need to understand it at. We were tested out of the waters, and I think we'll see some growth from it."

Montana will play games against San Jose State, Bradley, Texas State and New Mexico State next weekend at NMSU's Troy Cox Tournament in Las Cruces, N.M.