Montana falls to Oregon

Sunday, February 14

Phoenix, Ariz.

9 AM

Montana

1-4

Oregon

5-0

Oregon

Montana

2/14/2021 2:53:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

By: Montana Sports Information

The Montana softball team lost to Oregon 9-1 on Sunday morning as the Grizzlies wrapped up play at the Grand Canyon Kickoff Classic in Phoenix.

Montana went 1-4 at the season-opening tournament, highlighted by Friday night's 9-4 win over Grand Canyon.

Oregon, the No. 10-ranked team in the country, opened the season 5-0, outscoring its opponents 39-4 and winning four run-rule games.

Sophomore Ashley Ward got the start for Montana and pitched a 1-2-3 top of the first, only the fifth time the Ducks went down in order in 27 innings of at-bats at the tournament.

The Ducks would score two in the second, five in the third and one each in the fourth and fifth innings against Ward, Anna Toon and Allie Brock.

Brock threw the final 1 2/3 innings, allowing one hit while striking out two. She finished the weekend with a team-high nine strikeouts.

The Grizzlies were no-hit by the Ducks in Friday's 8-0 loss but led off the bottom of the first on Sunday with a hit, Kylie Becker's single through the right side.

Becker added another single, this one to left field, in the third.

Trailing 9-0, Montana loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the fifth. Jessica McAlister reached on an error, Kelly Sweyer drew a walk, and Becker was hit by a pitch.

Following a strikeout, Maygen McGrath singled to right-center to plate Montana's only run of the game. It was McGrath's team-high fifth RBI of the road trip.

Cami Sellers went 0 for 2 but still finished the tournament batting .600, going 9 for 15 with two home runs, a double and four runs batted in.

Montana batted .302 in five games, a much higher average than the .245 the Grizzlies started last season with while going 4-1 at the Big Easy Classic in Metairie, La.

The difference in outcomes came from the defensive side. Oregon, Grand Canyon and Weber State batted .415 in five games against Montana in Phoenix, scoring 46 runs.

Montana will travel to St. George, Utah, later this week for the Dixie State Classic, with games against Utah Valley, BYU, Utah State, Dixie State and Nevada.