Griz open with pair of thrillers in Phoenix

Friday, March 4

Phoenix, Ariz.

Noon

Montana

7-9

San Jose State

10-6

Montana

San Jose State

Photo by: Bill Jarvis

3/5/2022 12:57:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Montana Sports Information

The Montana softball team opened the Grand Canyon Invitational with a pair of thrilling finishes on Friday at GCU Softball Stadium in Phoenix.

Montana rallied from a 3-1 deficit to defeat San Jose State 5-3 in its opener, with Maygen McGrath hitting a tie-breaking two-run home run in the top of the seventh.

In their second game, the Grizzlies broke a 1-1 deadlock with three runs in the top of the seventh against Grand Canyon.

Cami Sellers hit a two-out single to left to make it 2-1. McGrath followed with another two-run home run to make it 4-1.

But Grand Canyon, which had scored 99 runs through its first 16 games while starting the season 13-3, wasn't done.

The Lopes scored four runs on five hits in the bottom of the seventh and walked off their 14th victory of the season with a two-out single up the middle.

Against the Spartans, Dana Butterfield threw a complete game on 88 pitches. She allowed just seven hits.

Three of those hits came in the bottom of the second, when San Jose State opened the inning with a single, a double and a home run to make it 3-1.

Butterfield would only allow two more hits the rest of the game, which allowed her teammates to rally back.

Montana scored one in the fourth on an RBI double by Julie Phelps, then tied it in the sixth on an RBI double by Kendall Curtis.

After Butterfield pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the sixth, Montana won it in the top of the seventh.

Jaxie Klucewich led off the inning with an infield single. Sellers advanced her to second with a ground out to first. McGrath followed with a home run to center on a 2-0 pitch.

It was McGrath's second home run of the season, the 27th of her career.

Presley Jantzi had two hits, Butterfield improved to 3-4 on the season.

Montana grabbed a 1-0 lead over Grand Canyon in the top of the first. Kylie Becker led off with a hit-by-pitch and advanced to third on a McGrath single.

She scored on a fielder's choice back to the pitcher by Jantzi.

Allie Brock kept it a 1-0 game through five, just the second time all season Grand Canyon had been held scoreless through five innings.

Montana had two on with one out in the top of the sixth but couldn't add to its lead. Grand Canyon tied it in the bottom of the sixth when a leadoff walk came around to score.

The Grizzlies grabbed all the momentum in the top of the seventh, scoring three runs with two outs, but the Lopes took it right back for a walk-off win.

Limited by Brock to four hits through the first six innings, Grand Canyon had five hits in the seventh, including an RBI double, a two-out, two-run single that tied it and the walk-off single that won it.

Brock took the loss to drop to 4-6. McGrath had two of Montana's four hits in the game.

The Grizzlies will play San Jose State and Grand Canyon again on Saturday.