Griz make run to Outrigger Hawaii Invitational title game

Saturday, February 26

Honolulu, Hawaii

3 PM (MT)

Montana

6-8

North Dakota

6-8

Montana

North Dakota

Griz make run to Outrigger Hawaii Invitational title game

2/27/2022 2:46:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Montana Sports Information

The Montana softball team advanced to the championship game of the Outrigger Hawaii Invitational on Saturday before falling to the host Rainbow Wahine as the tournament came to an end in Honolulu.

The Grizzlies, the No. 4 seed, advanced to the title game with a 1-0 victory over No. 1 North Dakota. Montana lost in the championship game to No. 3 Hawaii 2-0.

Dana Butterfield threw a three-hit shutout against the Fighting Hawks on just 89 pitches to improve to 2-4 on the season while dropping her ERA to 2.74.

Allie Brock got the start against the Rainbow Wahine and went the distance in the title game, allowing five hits and one earned run.

Facing a North Dakota team on Saturday that Montana lost to 6-4 on Friday in pool play, Butterfield was dominant.

She faced just nine hitters through three innings and got out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the fourth with an infield pop-up.

In the bottom of the seventh, with Montana holding a 1-0 lead, North Dakota advanced a runner to third with one out.

Butterfield got the second out by strikeout and ended the game, her first collegiate shutout, on a fly out to left field.

Montana scored the game-winning run in the top of the fourth when the Grizzlies had four hits but could only get one runner across the plate.

Cami Sellers led off with a single. Kendall Curtis followed with a single, then Maygen McGrath did as well, but Sellers was thrown out at the plate on a hit to left field.

Julie Phelps singled through the right side with one out to plate Curtis.

Seven players had hits for Montana, with McGrath and Phelps both going 2 for 3. Presley Jantzi had the team's only extra-base hit, a double in the fifth.

In the championship game, neither team recorded a hit until Hawaii had a single off Brock in the bottom of the third.

Hawaii scored one in the fourth on an RBI double, an unearned run after the leadoff batter reached on an infield error.

The Rainbow Wahine added another in the fifth. Hawaii used a leadoff double, a sacrifice and an RBI single to make it 2-0.

That was enough for Brianna Lopez, who limited Montana to one hit, a double by Kylie Becker to lead off the top of the sixth.

Becker made it to third with one out, but Lopez got a strikeout and line out to second to keep Montana off the board.

Montana brought the tying run to the plate in the top of the seventh after Sellers was hit by a pitch with one out. A fielder's choice and infield pop-up ended the game and gave Hawaii the title.

Maygen McGrath, who went 7 for 14 over five games, was named to the all-tournament team.

Montana will be in Phoenix next weekend for the Grand Canyon Invitational. The Grizzlies will play the host Lopes and San Jose State twice each, Binghamton once.