Clutch all day, Griz win 5-4

Sunday, March 27

Missoula, Mont.

Noon

Montana

13-16, 1-2

Portland State

18-11, 2-1

Portland State

Montana

Photo by: Tommy Martino/UM Athletics

3/27/2022 4:42:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

By: Montana Sports Information

Montana had just three hits off the Big Sky Conference's top pitcher on Sunday, but two of those were enough to give the Grizzlies a 5-4 victory over Portland State as the teams wrapped up their three-game series at Grizzly Softball Field in Missoula.

Brooklyn Weisgram hit a grand slam in the second, Cami Sellers hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth to break a 4-4 tie and Dana Butterfield, in relief of starter Allie Brock, did the rest, throwing three scoreless innings to pick up win No. 6 of the season.

It was the third one-run game of the series. Portland State (18-11, 2-1 BSC) won both games on Saturday, 3-2 in nine innings and 4-3.

"Our conference has gotten better and is more competitive, so no matter who you are playing, you have to be present for the opportunities, present to be able to make adjustments," said coach Melanie Meuchel.

After the Vikings went up 1-0 in the top of the second on an RBI bunt single, Montana showed how a small change in tactics paid off in a big way on Sunday.

Kylie Becker was hit by a pitch with one out in the bottom of the second, and Julie Phelps and Riley Stockton followed with walks against Olivia Grey, who had only issued 29 free passes all season in nearly 100 innings of work while going 12-1 with a 1.22 ERA.

"We talked about a few things. We talked about changing a little bit of strategy of what we were doing in our at-bats. I felt like the people who were on base did exactly what was asked of them to get on base," said Meuchel.

Grey got a pop fly to second for out No. 2, which brought Weisgram, who went 0 for 4 with a strikeout in Saturday's doubleheader, to the plate.

On a 1-2 pitch, Weisgram tucked career home run No. 10 inside the left-field foul pole, just the fourth home run allowed by Grey this season.

"I didn't have a great day at the plate yesterday. I was frustrated. I tried to throw that behind me and came out for redemption and to step up and do something for my team today," she said.

"My girls (in front of me) did their job. I wanted to follow and do my job. I was just thinking, drive the ball hard."

It was the 11th grand slam in program history and the first hit Montana had off of Grey on Sunday.

"I knew a little of what to expect, just because I'd seen her yesterday," said Weisgram. "We knew what she was going to come at us with. It's knowing that, being ready for that and then taking advantage of it."

Portland State was far from being done. The Vikings pulled within 4-3 with a two-run home run in the top of the third and tied it with a solo home run in the top of the fifth, the last batter Brock would face.

Portland State had five home runs in the three-game series, nine extra-base hits.

That left the Vikings holding all the momentum and the Grizzlies with their backs against the wall. Enter: Sellers.

With one out in the bottom of the fifth, Sellers went the opposite way on a 1-1 pitch for her 24th career home run.

"Cami got beat a little bit at the plate this weekend," said Meuchel. "To stay the course, to stay the grind, to continue to compete against a good pitcher shows the type of athletes we have."

The home run would hand Grey (12-2) her first loss in more than a month and just her second of the season.

"She has some good spin and is one of the quicker girls we've ever faced, so it's a little bit tough," said Sellers.

"I was just getting my toes on the line, and I was seeing the ball well. She had a good pitch. I've been working to get my hands to the ball and getting my hips through, so I was really trying to apply that."

That left the game in the capable right hand of Butterfield, a freshman.

She got out of the top of the fifth with a runner on third and one out. She got out of the top of the sixth with runners in scoring position and out of the top of the seventh with runners on second and third and one out.

In a high-pressure situation, with the tying run on third, the go-ahead run on second and her team needing a win to avoid a sweep, Butterfield ended the game with a ground out to short and a fly out to left.

"Great toughness, great poise," said Meuchel. "I knew she had it in her, but she stepped up and grew today."

Kylie Becker led off the sixth with a double down the left-field line, Montana's third and final hit of the game. It matched the program record for fewest hits in a game the Grizzlies won.

Montana (13-16, 1-2 BSC) will play a three-game series at Southern Utah (3-23, 0-3 BSC) on Friday and Saturday in Cedar City.