Griz get Saturday split

Saturday, March 11

Seattle, Wash.

2 PM (MT)

Montana

2-21

UNLV

13-10

UNLV

Montana

3/11/2023 7:54:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Montana Sports Information

In a repeat of Friday's results, the Montana softball team downed UNLV in a thriller on Saturday, then lost to the Redhawks as the hosts rallied late at the Seattle U Invitational at Logan Field.

Montana defeated UNLV 5-4 and fell to Seattle 2-1 in eight innings.

The Grizzlies (2-22) jumped on the Rebels early, going up 3-0 after two innings, Montana's largest lead of the season.

Elise Ontiveros singled and later scored in the first, then added a two-run single in the second. Montana went up 4-1 in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI ground out by Julie Phelps.

Maggie Joseph got the start for the Grizzlies and worked around the UNLV leadoff batter reaching base in each of the first four innings, with just one run allowed.

She ran into trouble in the fifth. With one out, she walked a batter, hit a batter, then gave up back-to-back singles as the Rebels rallied to tie the game at 4-4.

She was replaced by Grace Haegele, who pitched the rest of the way to collect her first collegiate win, allowing two hits in 2 2/3 innings.

Kendall Curtis played hero in Montana's 2-1 victory over UNLV on Friday, singling in two runs in the sixth.

On Saturday she came up in the bottom of the sixth and hit a solo home run on a 1-0 count for what would be another game-winning hit as Haegele worked a 1-2-3 top of the seventh.

Saturday's second game was a pitchers' duel between Montana's Allie Brock and Seattle's Grace Luderer, last season's WAC Freshman of the Year.

The Grizzlies opened the scoring on a sacrifice fly by Ontiveros in the top of the third that scored Jaxie Klucewich.

Seattle left 12 runners on base for the game, at least one every inning, with Brock getting out of bases-loaded jams in the second and fifth innings.

She took a 1-0 lead to the bottom of the sixth before the Redhawks, who improved to 18-5 with the win, tied the score on a two-out double to right.

With Klucewich placed on second to start the top of the eighth, Montana was unable to bring her home. A ground out moved her to third but the Grizzlies followed with a strikeout and ground out.

In the bottom half of the eighth, Seattle sacrificed its runner to third, then won it on a walk-off sacrifice fly to right.

Ontiveros and Curtis both had a pair of hits, matching their output against UNLV. Brock took the loss despite allowing one earned run and eight hits over 7 2/3 innings.

Montana will face Seattle at 1 p.m. (MT) on Sunday.