Griz end tournament with 6-4 win

Sunday, March 13

Missoula, Mont.

12:30 PM

Montana

10-14

Seattle

14-12

Seattle

Montana

Photo by: Derek Johnson

3/13/2022 4:51:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Montana Sports Information

The Griz softball team wrapped up the three-day Montana Invitational with a 6-4 win over Seattle on Sunday afternoon at Grizzly Softball Field in Missoula.

After dropping two tight games to DePaul on Friday and a one-run game against Seattle on Saturday, Montana finally broke through on Sunday.

Allie Brock won her sixth game of the season, Dana Butterfield collected her second save, and Maygen McGrath went 3 for 3 with her fourth home run of the season.

"The difference today was the belief that we were going to win a game," said coach Melanie Meuchel, whose team held leads of 4-1 and 3-0 in two of the three games it lost.

The Grizzlies had a 1-3 record at their home tournament, but it was salty competition. DePaul was picked to finish second in the Big East. Seattle was picked to win the West Division of the WAC.

Over four games, Montana got out-hit by just three and had 11 extra-base hits, the same number as the Blue Demons and Redhawks.

"The two teams that came in here are two high-quality teams in college softball," said Meuchel, whose team improved to 10-14 on the season with Sunday's win.

"It was fun to have them here and compete with the grind of it, then also watch us succeed in areas that have stumped us at times. I thought we were good all day. I'm really proud of this team."

The game's first six runs were scored on two-run home runs.

Seattle went up 2-0 in the top of the first. Montana made it 2-2 in the bottom half of the inning when McGrath hit her 29th career home run to right-center.

The Redhawks regained the lead in the top of the third with another two-run home run off Brock, the first time this season she has allowed two home runs in a game.

Montana took the lead with three runs on three hits and an error in the bottom of the fourth. All three runs came with two outs.

The inning started with a McKenna Tjaden double to left-center, her first hit of the season. She was on third with two outs when the flood gates opened.

Jaxie Klucewich reached on a throwing error, which plated Tjaden. Preley Jantzi had a single up the middle to drive in the tying run, and Kylie Becker drew a bases-loaded walk to put Montana up 5-4.

The Grizzlies sent all nine batters to the plate in the inning.

Brock got into trouble in the top of the fifth when she allowed a single, had a wild pitch and hit a batter.

Butterfield came in with two on and two outs and got a ground out to end the threat, then allowed just one hit over the final two innings to finish off the save.

Montana scored a run in the bottom of the sixth on another bases-loaded walk and left the bases full for the second time in three innings.

The Grizzlies stranded 11 for the game, their second-highest total of the season, but that number is easier to accept in a win than a what-could-have-been loss.

McGrath finished 3 for 3. She had a home run in the first and sharply hit singles in the third and sixth.

She batted .571 at the tournament, going 8 for 14 with three multiple-hit games. She has eight multiple-hit games in Montana's last 14.

"Everybody goes through the highs and the low. It's just a matter of staying positive and fighting until you get back up to your high," McGrath said.

"It's also a lot more comforting to be at home and playing in front of our fans and having my family and being able to settle in and enjoy being in this atmosphere and having fun."

McGrath went 1 for 16 in five games at the Nor Cal Kickoff to open the season. She has batted .383 since to up her season average to .316.

"Maygen is deadly at the plate. She's someone who every time she gets in the box, I think the opponent can feel it," said Meuchel. "She's starting to really have that presence in the box."

Montana's six runs was its fourth-highest output of the season.

"I think we all just settled in and relied on each other and had faith in every single person on this field," said McGrath.

"We knew it was our last day and wanted to finish on a bang and come strong and competitive and be in every single pitch."

Jantzi went 2 for 2, her second straight multiple-hit game. Cami Sellers scored twice.

Montana will host Providence next Saturday in a doubleheader before opening its Big Sky Conference schedule with a three-game series against Portland State in Missoula the final weekend of March.