Griz drop two games on opening day

Friday, February 10

Riverside, Calif.

10 AM (MT)

Montana

0-1

Middle Tennessee

1-1

Montana

Middle Tennessee

Photo by: Shanna Madison/UM Athletics

2/10/2023 5:56:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Montana Sports Information

The Montana softball team lost games to Middle Tennessee and Fresno State on Friday as the 2023 season opened at the Lynn Russell Miller Classic in Riverside, Calif.

The Grizzlies lost 1-0 to the Blue Raiders on a first-inning run that spoiled a strong showing by junior pitcher Allie Brock.

Montana then lost 9-4 to Fresno State in a game the Grizzlies trailed by one, 4-3, going into the sixth inning. Montana out-hit Fresno State 11-9 but issued 11 walks to the Bulldogs.

"We saw some things today that have us very hopeful with this group, then we saw some things that felt like it was Day 1 of the season," said sixth-year coach Melanie Meuchel.

"I hate to say it was Day 1 because we're a very competitive group and anytime we're walking on the field we have expectations of what we are going to do, but there is growth that goes with it."

Middle Tennessee scored the only run it would need in the bottom of the first with a lead-off single, a stolen base, a sacrifice bunt and an RBI groundout.

The only other trouble Brock faced was in the fifth, when the Blue Raiders had runners on second and third with two outs. Brock got out of it with a ground out.

Brock needed just 76 pitches to get through six innings. She struck out four, allowed four hits and just one walk.

Montana played error-free defense behind her, with Jaxie Klucewich making some high-level plays in her second career start at shortstop and Presley Jantzi tracking a ball in right in her first career start in the outfield.

"Allie Brock and our defense played really well. We made some great defensive plays," said Meuchel. "We had some rhythm defensively and we just were a little outside of ourselves at the plate."

Montana had just three hits off Middle Tennessee starter Kamryn Carcich, who struck out eight in her Blue Raider debut after transferring from Murray State.

Kelly Sweyer had a one-out double in the fourth for Montana's first hit of the season, Jantzi singled in the sixth and Julie Phelps came through with a one-out double to left-center in the top of the seventh.

With the tying run in scoring position, Carcich got the game's final two outs on called third strikes.

Freshman Grace Haegele got the start against Fresno State and threw 105 pitches over four innings. She struck out three, allowed three hits and three earned runs, and walked seven.

Freshman Evelyn O'Brien pitched 1 1/3 innings in her collegiate debut, Maggie Joseph threw 1 2/3 innings in her first appearance since last Feb. 18.

Fresno State got to Haegele in the top of the first with a two-run home run.

Montana responded with its first run of the season in the bottom half of the inning when Elise Ontiveros drove in Kendall Curtis, who drew a one-out walk and advanced on a single to right by Sweyer.

Fresno State extended its lead to 3-1 in the fourth, 4-1 in the fifth. In the bottom of the fifth, Montana pulled within 4-3 on back-to-back RBI doubles by Sweyer and Ontiveros.

Both players went 3 for 4 against Fresno State, with Sweyer going 4 for 7 over two games. She had six hits all of last season in 42 at-bats.

The Bulldogs scored two runs in the top of the sixth on two hits and three walks, three more runs in the seventh on four more hits.

Sweyer, Ontiveros and Phelps all singled with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to load the bases. Montana scored its final run when Kynzie Mohl was hit by a pitch with a full count.

Hannah Jablonski had two hits, Ontiveros drove in two and Curtis scored twice.

Montana will play Fresno State at 10 a.m. (MT) and UC Riverside at 3 p.m. (MT) on Saturday.