Montana makes quick work of Carroll

Wednesday, April 14

Missoula, Mont.

1 PM

Montana

10-24

Carroll

11-23

Carroll

Montana

4/14/2021 6:20:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

By: Montana Sports Information

Montana's pitchers had their day on Wednesday as the home team made quick work of Carroll at Grizzly Softball Field in Missoula. The Grizzlies won 4-0 and 8-0 in games that both took just 74 minutes.

Tristin Achenbach threw a one-hit shutout in the opener and took a perfect game into the sixth.

In Game 2, Allie Brock matched it, tossing a one-hitter as Montana run-ruled Carroll with a walk-off grand slam by Cami Sellers in the bottom of the fifth.

Achenbach and Brock limited the Saints to two singles in 39 at-bats, a .051 batting average, while striking out 15.

"Their focus on the mound today and the way we defended behind them on a few key plays was perfect," said coach Melanie Meuchel.

"It was focused, it was driven, it was great execution on their part. They kind of dominated."

Achenbach had 1-2-3 innings through five in the opener and got the first two outs in the sixth before a line drive went off Kylie Becker's glove at third for Carroll's first hit of the day.

Achenbach, who had an uncharacteristically low five strikeouts for such an overpowering outing, allowed a pair of two-out walks in the seventh for the Saints' only other runners of the game.

"She moved some of her pitches and really commanded the zone," said Meuchel. "She had a calm confidence about her and presence.

"It wasn't dominating in the way you'd think. She was really good today in so many different ways."

Montana got all the runs it would need in the second, scoring twice on two hits and two Carroll errors, two of their four for the game.

One of those hits was a bloop single to left from McKenna Tjaden, who upped her hitting streak to 11 games, something that's only been done seven times in program history.

Montana scored two more in the third, as Kendall Curtis and Maygen McGrath led off with doubles. Becker later drove in McGrath.

Neither team scored over the final three and a half innings.

The Grizzlies had just one run on two hits through three innings in Game 2. That came in the second when Jessica McAlister doubled with two outs and later scored on an error.

Leading 1-0 going into the bottom of the fourth, Montana got a three-run home run from Anna Toon, her second of the season, to make it 4-0.

In the bottom of the fifth, Julie Phelps led off with a single up the middle. Jaxie Klucewich followed with an infield single. McGrath later walked, loading the bases for Sellers.

Her fifth home run of the season cleared the bases and ended the game. It was Montana's third grand slam of the season, a program record.

"We were putting runners on. It was figuring out a way to execute and push through," said Meuchel. "There were times when people stepped up and were able to push some runs through.

"It was nice to be able to do it today against an opponent mid-week and be able to perform. We had some good execution today."

Brock struck out a season-high 10, an average of two per inning for the five she pitched before Sellers ended the game early. Brock walked one while dropping her ERA from 8.43 and 7.67.

In the top of the second, the leadoff batter for Carroll ended up on third after an outfield error by Montana, the Grizzlies' only error of the day. Brock responded with three straight strikeouts.

Montana (11-24, 3-6 BSC) will return to Big Sky Conference play this weekend when it hosts second-place Southern Utah (13-19, 5-1 BSC).

The teams will play a doubleheader at 2 p.m. on Saturday, a single game on Sunday at noon.