Griz pick up Saturday split

Saturday, April 15

Greeley, Colo.

Noon

Montana

8-30, 2-6

Northern Colorado

15-19, 3-5

Montana

Northern Colorado

Photo by: Jam David

4/15/2023 6:52:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Montana Sports Information

The Montana softball team split a pair of games against Northern Colorado on Saturday afternoon at Gloria Rodriguez Field in Greeley.

The Grizzlies (8-31, 2-7 BSC) pounded out a season-high 15 hits and matched a season high in runs in the opener, winning 9-8.

The Bears (16-19, 4-5 BSC) led from start to finish in the second game, winning 7-1 to take the series.

Montana had reached 10 hits in a game only three times previously this season, none since Feb. 26, but came out swinging in Game 1.

The Grizzlies had two hits in the first, three hits in the second, four hits in the third and four more hits in the fourth.

By that point they had built a 9-1 lead and were in position to record their first run-rule victory against a Division I opponent in more than a year.

Riley Stockton had the first of two doubles in the game in the first to open the scoring. Six players would have multiple hits, with Kendall Curtis going 3 for 5, her fourth career game with three or more hits.

Kelly Sweyer had an RBI single in the second, Hannah Jablonski and Curtis RBI singles in the third.

Presley Jantzi and Grace Hardy welcomed a new Northern Colorado pitcher to the game with a double-home run combo in the fourth. Julie Phelps made it 9-1 with an RBI double later in the inning.

Hardy's home run was her third of the season, bringing her within one of the team lead.

That gave plenty of support to starter Grace Haegele, who held the Bears to two runs on four hits through five innings.

Northern Colorado got to Haegele for three runs on four hits in the sixth to draw within 9-5, then led off the bottom of the seventh with consecutive singles, which signaled the end of Haegele's day.

The Bears, facing Allie Brock in relief, pulled within 9-8 on a bases-loaded walk, an infield single and an RBI ground out, and had runners at second and third with two outs in a now one-run game.

Brock ended it when she got a foul out to first.

Montana's four victories this season against Division I opponents have all come by one-run margins.

Haegele got the win, her team-leading fourth of the season. Brock, who entered with the potential tying run on deck, picked up the save, the first of her career.

In addition to Curtis's three-hit game, her first of the season, Phelps, Stockton, Jantzi, Jablonski and Elise Ontiveros each had two hits.

Northern Colorado wasted no time taking control of Game 2, with the Bears scoring four in the bottom of the first off Griz starter Maggie Joseph.

Evelyn O'Brien came on relief with one out in the bottom of the inning and would allow two earned runs over four innings. Brock pitched the final 1 2/3 innings, allowing just one hit.

The early runs were enough for UNC starter Erin Caviness, who held the Grizzlies to three hits in Friday's five-inning game.

In the series finale she held Montana to three hits over seven innings, with all three hits coming off the bat of Phelps, who is 8 for 14 the last four games.

Northern Colorado scored two in the fourth, one in the fifth.

Montana's lone run came in the top of the sixth. With Phelps on second with two outs, Curtis hit a ball to second base that was misplayed for an error, allowing Phelps to score an unearned run.

Montana will play a Friday-Saturday series next weekend at Idaho State (11-21, 3-3 BSC), which had a 1-2 road trip to Portland State this weekend.