Griz sweep doubleheader to wrap up fall season

Saturday, October 25

Missoula, Mont.

1 PM

Montana

North Idaho

Photo by: Marley Barboeisel/University of

10/25/2025 7:31:00 PM | Softball

By: Montana Sports Information

The Montana softball team swept a doubleheader from North Idaho on Saturday afternoon at Grizzly Softball Field in Missoula as the team's eight-game fall exhibition season concluded.

The Grizzlies, behind a dominant start from Kaiana Kong, won the opener 3-0. After falling behind 4-0 in the top of the first in Game 2, Montana scored 19 unanswered runs to win 19-4.

Jenna Barney and Anna Cockhill both hit home runs in Saturday's second game, while Ava Puttler had an inside-the-park home run.

Kong, a first-year player who transferred from Western Washington, got the start in Game 1 and set down the first 15 batters she faced, striking out seven and putting her within sight of a perfect game.

"We knew she was a talented kid who could get people out and has good stuff," said coach Stef Ewing. "She's mostly a down-ball pitcher and has worked at having something to elevate at the top of the zone.

"Today you saw her be able to go up and down and what that can do. A lot of strikeouts and a lot of mis-hit contact. She was great today."

She gave up a lead-off single up the middle in the top of the sixth, then got the next three batters out, her day ending with 19 batters faced over six innings, one over the minimum, with eight strikeouts.

Carah Sweet, also a first-year pitcher who transferred from Sacred Heart, pitched the seventh.

"One curveball that flattened out a little bit," Ewing said of the one pitch the Cardinals were able to hit off Kong. "We were going to give her the opportunity (for the perfect game) if she could."

Montana scored its three runs in Game 1 in the bottom of the second. Hailey Boer and Danielle Biehl both had RBI singles, Kailee Mejia drew a bases-loaded walk.

It was Montana's only inning in the opener with multiple hits.

"We were out in front. We wouldn't let the ball travel," said Ewing. "That's why you saw so many rollover ground balls and pop-ups.

"We have to be able to stay back and make adjustments. It can't take multiple times through the lineup. It has to be the very next batter."

Montana, after a between-games meeting, put it together in Game 2 but only after a dicey start in the top of the first.

The Cardinals used two hits, two walks and a bases-loaded outfield error by the Grizzlies to jump out to a 4-0 lead.

"We've worked this fall on throwing strikes and getting ahead in the count," said Ewing. "The first inning shows you what can happen when you get behind. When we get ahead of hitters, we do well."

Montana used three pitchers in the game, with Sweet throwing the middle three innings with two hits allowed and freshman Brooklynn Braun the final two. She struck out three and didn't allow a hit.

"Cara did a really nice job and Brooklynn came in and really shut it down," said Ewing.

Montana left two on in the bottom of the first but started passing the bat after that, scoring five in the second, five in the fourth and six in the fifth.

Cockhill went 3 for 4 while driving in four and scoring four times. Madison Tarrant and Biehl had two-hit games, with Biehl also scoring four times.

Barney hit a pinch-hit home run in the fourth, Puttler's inside-the-parker came in the fifth when the ball got between outfielders and to the fence, and Cockhill homered down the left-field line in the sixth.

"We did a much better job in Game 2 at making adjustments. Our communication was better from hitter to hitter. That's the type of offense we can be," said Ewing.

"We weren't able to do that in the first game. We had a really good response in Game 2. That's who we are and who we have to be. It was nice to see us not panic after giving up a four spot in the first inning."

Montana ends its fall with a 6-2 record, with six home wins combined with losses on the road last weekend at Utah State and Utah Valley.

The team will practice on a reduced scale through November, then return to campus in early January to begin preparing for the spring season.

"We're still trying to figure out our identity but we have a lot of kids in the mix who can be impact players for us," said Ewing. "I really like our depth of lineup.

"I love where our pitching staff is. I think we have some really nice options. Kong is going to keep us in a lot of games, and Audri, Carah and Brooklynn have done a really nice job this fall too."