Friday, February 22
Santa Clara, Calif.
10:00 AM (MT)
Montana
1-10
1
vs
11
Utah State
4-7
1
2
3
4
5
R
H
E
Montana
1
0
0
0
0
1
6
1
Utah State
3
0
7
1
X
11
10
0
Griz close day with 5-1 win
2/22/2019 10:06:00 PM | Softball
The Montana softball team wrapped up opening day of the Silicon Valley Classic with a 5-1 victory over co-host Santa Clara on Friday that snapped a 10-game losing streak for the Grizzlies.
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Both of Montana's wins this season have come against the Broncos. The Grizzlies opened the season with a 3-0 victory over Santa Clara at the NorCal Kickoff.
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Montana lost 11-1 to Utah State in its Silicon Valley Classic opener on Friday.
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The Grizzlies (2-10) got on the board first against the Aggies, turning three hits and a bases-loaded walk into a 1-0 lead after a half inning.
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Utah State got to Montana starter Michaela Hood for three runs in the bottom of the first, getting a walk, a second walk and a home run from its first three batters.
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The Aggies added seven in the third, on six hits and a Montana error off Hood and reliever Maddy Stensby.
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The Grizzlies would have just three hits over the final four innings off Utah State starter Delane Hull, who picked up her third win of the season.
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Montana would win its second game of the day behind the pitching of Tristin Achenbach, who picked up her first win of the season, and the big bats of a pair of freshmen.
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Katie Pippel didn't make Montana's roster until the fall, when she survived a 14-day tryout. She got her first collegiate start against Santa Clara, in right field, and came to bat in the top of the second with a runner on first, after McKenna Tjaden ignited a two-out rally with a single to right.
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Pippel deposited her first hit as a Grizzly over the fence in right to make it 2-0.
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"I think it charged our whole team," said coach Melanie Meuchel. "They were excited more than anything else."
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Brooklyn Weisgram singled up the middle to extend the inning, and Lexi Knauss made it 3-0 with a double to left that scored Weisgram and gave Knauss, who moved up to third on a play at the plate, a hit in 11 of Montana's first 12 games to open the season.
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"Lexi slides into third and comes up screaming that she's excited for Katie. It was two plays later and people were still jacked about Katie's great at-bat," said Meuchel.
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That would be more than enough for Achenbach, who didn't allow a base hit until an infield single in the bottom of the fourth.
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Montana made it 5-0 in the fifth. Cami Sellers drew a one-out walk, and Maygen McGrath homered to left on a 0-2 count, giving her 11 hits in the Grizzlies' last six games.
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"They were trying to keep her a little off-balance. I thought she did a good job staying composed and taking advantage of the opportunity that was given to her," said Meuchel.
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"The pitcher probably left a little bit more than she probably hoped she would, and Maygen put a nice bat on it."
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Achenbach set Santa Clara down in order in the fifth, then gave up a run-scoring single in the sixth.
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With runners still on first and second with two outs in the sixth, Hannah Russell singled up the middle. SCU's third-base coach opted to test the arm of Weisgram, who was making her first start in center after starting the season's first 11 games in right. It would be a mistake.
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Weisgram gunned down the lead runner at the plate, and Montana would take a 5-1 lead into the seventh, where Achenbach set the Broncos down in order.
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She allowed four hits in seven innings while striking out five and walking only two.
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"She set a good tone of throwing the ball hard and being really relaxed in her pitches and her snap," said Meuchel. "She controlled the game very well on her side, and our defense played with a lot of spark behind her. We played together and made some big plays.
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"We controlled how it was going to go. We played with the intent of what we were going to do in that game."
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McGrath went 2 for 3 against Utah State. Tjaden went 2 for 3 against the Broncos.
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Montana will face CSU Bakersfield at 12:30 p.m. (MT) and San Jose State at 3 p.m. (MT) at the Spartans' home field on Saturday.
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Both of Montana's wins this season have come against the Broncos. The Grizzlies opened the season with a 3-0 victory over Santa Clara at the NorCal Kickoff.
Â
Montana lost 11-1 to Utah State in its Silicon Valley Classic opener on Friday.
Â
The Grizzlies (2-10) got on the board first against the Aggies, turning three hits and a bases-loaded walk into a 1-0 lead after a half inning.
Â
Utah State got to Montana starter Michaela Hood for three runs in the bottom of the first, getting a walk, a second walk and a home run from its first three batters.
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The Aggies added seven in the third, on six hits and a Montana error off Hood and reliever Maddy Stensby.
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The Grizzlies would have just three hits over the final four innings off Utah State starter Delane Hull, who picked up her third win of the season.
Â
Montana would win its second game of the day behind the pitching of Tristin Achenbach, who picked up her first win of the season, and the big bats of a pair of freshmen.
Â
Katie Pippel didn't make Montana's roster until the fall, when she survived a 14-day tryout. She got her first collegiate start against Santa Clara, in right field, and came to bat in the top of the second with a runner on first, after McKenna Tjaden ignited a two-out rally with a single to right.
Â
Pippel deposited her first hit as a Grizzly over the fence in right to make it 2-0.
Â
"I think it charged our whole team," said coach Melanie Meuchel. "They were excited more than anything else."
Â
Brooklyn Weisgram singled up the middle to extend the inning, and Lexi Knauss made it 3-0 with a double to left that scored Weisgram and gave Knauss, who moved up to third on a play at the plate, a hit in 11 of Montana's first 12 games to open the season.
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"Lexi slides into third and comes up screaming that she's excited for Katie. It was two plays later and people were still jacked about Katie's great at-bat," said Meuchel.
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That would be more than enough for Achenbach, who didn't allow a base hit until an infield single in the bottom of the fourth.
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Montana made it 5-0 in the fifth. Cami Sellers drew a one-out walk, and Maygen McGrath homered to left on a 0-2 count, giving her 11 hits in the Grizzlies' last six games.
Â
"They were trying to keep her a little off-balance. I thought she did a good job staying composed and taking advantage of the opportunity that was given to her," said Meuchel.
Â
"The pitcher probably left a little bit more than she probably hoped she would, and Maygen put a nice bat on it."
Â
Achenbach set Santa Clara down in order in the fifth, then gave up a run-scoring single in the sixth.
Â
With runners still on first and second with two outs in the sixth, Hannah Russell singled up the middle. SCU's third-base coach opted to test the arm of Weisgram, who was making her first start in center after starting the season's first 11 games in right. It would be a mistake.
Â
Weisgram gunned down the lead runner at the plate, and Montana would take a 5-1 lead into the seventh, where Achenbach set the Broncos down in order.
Â
She allowed four hits in seven innings while striking out five and walking only two.
Â
"She set a good tone of throwing the ball hard and being really relaxed in her pitches and her snap," said Meuchel. "She controlled the game very well on her side, and our defense played with a lot of spark behind her. We played together and made some big plays.
Â
"We controlled how it was going to go. We played with the intent of what we were going to do in that game."
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McGrath went 2 for 3 against Utah State. Tjaden went 2 for 3 against the Broncos.
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Montana will face CSU Bakersfield at 12:30 p.m. (MT) and San Jose State at 3 p.m. (MT) at the Spartans' home field on Saturday.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: HULL, Delane (3-4)
L: Hood, Michaela (0-4)
Batting:
RBI: Johnson, Morgan 1
SH: McAlister, Jessica 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Sellers, Cami 1
Batting:
2B: ALVARADO, Al 1 ; BOLIN, Kenzi 1
HR: OROZCO, Lexi 1
RBI: HIRA, Kenned 1 ; OROZCO, Lexi 4 ; HOLMES, Ryan 1 ; TRAPP, Baile 2 ; ALVARADO, Al 1 ; BOLIN, Kenzi 2
Base Running:
RUNS: MOLINA, Leah 1 ; HIRA, Kenned 1 ; PLOGGER, Ril 1 ; OROZCO, Lexi 2 ; HOLMES, Ryan 1 ; KUBA, Erin 1 ; TRAPP, Baile 1 ; LERMA, Bri 1 ; MARSHALL, Em 1 ; MAHER, Mia 1
SB: MAHER, Mia 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
P
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballGriz Football Weekly Press Conference 11/3/25
Monday, November 03
Montana vs Weber St. Highlights
Sunday, November 02
Griz Football Weekly Press Conference - 10/13/25
Tuesday, October 28
Griz Volleyball vs. Weber State Postgame Report - 10/25/25
Tuesday, October 28
