Hornets sweep Friday doubleheader

Friday, April 26

Sacramento, Calif.

1 PM (MT)

Montana

17-29, 1-12

Sacramento State

24-18, 5-4

Montana

Sacramento State

Photo by: John Sieber via UM Athletics

4/26/2024 7:04:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Montana Sports Information

Sacramento State swept a doubleheader against Montana on Friday afternoon at Shea Stadium in Sacramento, winning both games on walk-off hits.

The Hornets (25-18, 6-4 BSC) won the opener 9-0 in five innings as Lewa Day hit a pair of home runs, her three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth ending it.

The Grizzlies (17-30, 1-13 BSC) took a 4-3 lead into the bottom of the seventh in Game 2, but Sacramento State went single-walk-sacrifice-double to score twice and win it 5-4.

The wins extended the Hornets' winning streak over the Grizzlies to nine games. Sacramento State improved to 27-6 against Montana, which hasn't defeated the Hornets at Shea Stadium since 2017.

Game 1 marked the return from injury of the ultra-dangerous Day, who only had one at-bat between March 30 and Friday's opener.

She wasted little time trumpeting her return, hitting the third pitch she saw in the bottom of the first for a home run and a 2-0 lead for the Hornets.

Sacramento State would add a run in the second, three in the fourth, then win it on Day's second home run of the game in the fifth. Day went 3 for 4 in Game 1 with five RBIs.

Presley Jantzi and Riley Peschek both had singles for Montana as Sacramento State's Marissa Bertuccio threw a two-hitter for her 12th win of the season.

Emmalyn Brinka (4-15) started and took the loss for the Grizzlies.

Day picked up where she left off in Game 2, hitting a two-run home run in the bottom of the first, with Andrea Lira hitting a solo home run in the bottom of the second to make it 3-0.

After issuing a walk to the next batter, starter Rylee Rehbein was replaced by Nyeala Herndon, who would throw the final five innings of high-drama softball.

The Grizzlies scored their first run of the game in the third on an RBI single by Kelly Sweyer that made it 3-1.

Montana took the lead in the fifth. Jantzi tied it with a two-run double to left. She scored to give the Grizzlies a 4-3 lead when Peschek followed with an RBI single to right.

Herndon got out of a two-on, one-out jam in the third and had to pitch through trouble the rest of the game.

In the bottom of the fifth, she faced the bases loaded with one out and a 3-0 count, one ball from walking in the tying run. Instead she got a strikeout, then a ground out to end that threat.

She gave up a leadoff walk in the sixth but pitched around it before the seventh arrived, when Montana would need to make some critical decisions.

Griz coach Melanie Meuchel optioned to intentionally walk Day in both the third and fifth innings, both times with a runner on first and one out. Both times it worked out for the Grizzlies.

Sacramento State's biggest hit of the game came when Malissa George led off the bottom of the seventh with an infield single to the left side, with Day in the on-deck circle.

Montana decided to walk Day for a third consecutive at-bat, moving the tying run into scoring position with nobody out. Sacramento State answered by sacrificing the runners to second and third.

With one out and a 0-1 count, Alexis Parish ended it with a drive to center that scored the tying and winning runs.

Herndon had her most important outing of the season, even in the loss. She allowed three hits over five innings, striking out two and walking seven, three of which were intentional passes to Day.

Peschek and Kelly Sweyer both had two hits, as did Makena Strong, the first multiple-hit game of her career. Strong also scored twice. Herndon (0-1) took the loss, her first collegiate decision.

The teams will play the series finale on Saturday at 1 p.m. (MT).