Griz work overtime to get the win

Friday, April 21

Pocatello, Idaho

2:30 PM

Montana

9-31, 3-7

Idaho State

11-23, 3-4

Montana

Idaho State

Photo by: Justin Prax

4/21/2023 7:16:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

By: Montana Sports Information

The Montana softball team opened its three-game series at Idaho State with a 5-4 win in 10 innings over the Bengals at Miller Ranch Stadium in Pocatello on Friday afternoon.

The Grizzlies rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the top of the seventh and used a complete game from Allie Brock to win their first extra-inning game of the season.

"It was a high-intensity game," said coach Melanie Meuchel, whose team improved to 9-31 overall, 3-7 in league.

"It was fun to watch the players smile in some pretty intense times and just come together and get the outcome on the backside for staying the course and fighting the entire game."

The teams traded runs in the third inning, then the Bengals (11-23, 3-4 BSC) hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth to go up 3-1.

Montana was 0-15 this season when trailing after six innings. That can be updated to 1-15.

Hannah Jablonski led off the top of the seventh with a single through the left side. Kynzie Mohl followed with a pinch-hit infield single that put two runners on with nobody out.

Meuchel opted for the sacrifice and it paid off in a big way thanks to a Bengal error.

Julie Phelps bunted to the pitcher, who fielded it and threw it over the first baseman's head and down the line in right field.

All three runners scored, putting Montana up 4-3.

The drama was far from over, however, as Idaho State loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the seventh.

Brock got a fielder's choice with the lead runner thrown out at the plate, hit a batter with two outs to tie the game at 4-4, then, with the bases still loaded, got a ground out to end the threat.

Brock came through big in the bottom of the ninth as well. After giving up a leadoff double, she got back-to-back strikeouts, then an inning-ending pop-up to second.

Brock would throw a career-high 162 pitches and strike out seven.

"She just had it today," said Meuchel. "She was confident, gritty and came up with some really big pitches. She was good, and our defense played well behind her, too."

Kendall Curtis led off the 10th with a single. Kelly Sweyer followed with a double to left-center that had Curtis circle the bases, but a center-to-catcher strike cut down Curtis at the plate.

A ground out advanced Sweyer to third, which is where she was when Grace Hardy came through with the game-winning hit, a two-out single to left.

It was Montana's 10th hit of the game, the second time in three games the Grizzlies have had 10 or more.

"We hit so many balls hard that weren't hits today," said Meuchel. "It felt like anyone who was at the plate had really competitive at-bats and really hard contact."

Idaho State got a one-out single in the bottom of the 10th but Brock got a strikeout and a ground out to end the game.

The teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday starting at noon.

"I think this does something for us," said Meuchel. "We were determined from the beginning today. We were the aggressor of what we wanted to do with what was sitting in front of us."