Griz split on opening day

Friday, February 7

Phoenix, Ariz.

9 AM

Montana

1-0

Colgate

0-1

Montana

Colgate

Photo by: Taylor Decker/University of Montana

2/7/2025 4:27:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Montana Sports Information

The Montana softball team won one and lost one on Friday as the Grizzlies' 2025 season opened at the GCU Kickoff Classic in Phoenix.

Montana put up four runs in the top of the first in its opening game of the season and built an 8-0 lead on Colgate before rolling to an 11-4 win.

It was the most runs ever scored by the Grizzlies in their season opener and only the fifth time that Montana has scored 10 or more runs in a February game.

The Grizzlies then turned around and lost 11-3 in five innings to Northern Illinois, the Huskies turning five Montana errors into five unearned runs.

"We showed a lot of good things today," said first-year coach Stef Ewing. "And we came away with a list of things we need to get better at."

The Ewing era couldn't have gotten off to a splashier start, with freshman Sveva Sweeney hitting a two-out, bases-loaded triple in the top of the first against Colgate.

Madison Tarrant later drove in Sweeney with a single up the middle, and the Grizzlies led 4-0 before they had even taken the field to play defense.

"We got some good breaks that first game," said Ewing. "Sveva's ball had eyes. You just felt the weight come off the girls' shoulders after that, and we had a lot of really good, quality at-bats."

Montana would score in six of seven innings against the Raiders, with freshman Anna Cockhill, Presley Jantzi, Sweeney and Tarrant all having three-hit games.

Cockhill, who went 3 for 4 in her first collegiate game, Hannah Jablonski, Sweeney and Tarrant all drove in multiple runs.

Montana was one strike away from an 8-0 run-rule victory before the Raiders hit a two-out, three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth. They added a solo home run in the sixth.

"What we took away from that first game is that we can swing it," said Ewing. "As long as we have a chance to swing it, we can do a lot of things."

Junior Siona Halwani, a first-year transfer from the College of San Mateo, made the start and was in position for a five-inning complete game before giving up the home run that extended it to seven.

She worked 5 1/3 innings, allowing seven hits and striking out three while walking just one. "It's just her presence. She is so calm," said Ewing. "She just went out there and did her job.

"She knows her job is to feed the defense and get us ground balls. She did that. It was a great first outing for her. She was everything we thought she would be."

Halwani was replaced by Grace Hardy with one out in the bottom of the sixth, the senior's collegiate pitching debut.

Hardy got out of a two-on, one-out jam in the sixth by getting an infield pop-out and fly-out to center, then didn't allow a hit in the seventh.

Making her collegiate debut against Northern Illinois, freshman Cameryn Ortega hit the first batter she faced, then issued a walk before giving up a three-run home run.

Three batters into the game, Northern Illinois led 3-0. "When you hit a batter, then walk someone, the strike zone feels real tight," said Ewing, who stayed with her freshman and Ortega settled in.

She would go 3 2/3 innings, allow four earned runs and strike out four.

"Cam really did a nice job after the first inning," said Ewing. "She made some great adjustments and really pitched well and learned from that first inning."

Montana answered with two runs in the bottom of the first, on a Jablonski RBI double and an RBI single by Jocelyn Eisen, to pull within two at 4-2.

The Grizzlies made it 4-3 in the bottom of the second on an RBI double by Jantzi and had the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the third when trailing 5-3.

A foul out to third and a swinging strikeout ended the threat, and Montana would go without a hit in the fourth and fifth innings.

"Our response (to falling behind 4-0) was great," said Ewing. "We had a lot of quality at-bats and were banging the ball all over the place. We were right in the game."

Montana left nine runners on base in the opener, then six more against Northern Illinois, the three big ones in the third when the game was still there for the winning.

"We scored some runs today, but, man, did we leave a lot of opportunities out there," added Ewing. "That's something we have to build on, being relentless with runners in scoring position.

"Sometimes it's just putting the ball in play. We're striking out at a high rate right now. We have to be able to increase our contact. We'll get there."

Northern Illinois broke the game open in the fourth, scoring four unearned runs on two Montana errors. The Grizzlies had five errors against the Huskies after committing just one against Colgate.

"We made some big mistakes on some routine plays," said Ewing. "We have to play quality defense in order for us to be able to stay in the game.

"We know we can stay in the game with the way we can swing it, but we have to take care of the ball defensively and make the routine plays."

Eisen and Sweeney both had a pair of hits against the Huskies.

Montana batted .357 on the day, with Sweeney going 5 for 7, Jantzi 4 for 7, Tarrant 3 for 4 and Cockhill 3 for 7. Sweeney and Jablonski both drove in three, Cockhill scored four times.

The Grizzlies will face Wichita State at 2:30 p.m. and play host Grand Canyon at 5 p.m. on Saturday.

"We're going to come back tomorrow and we have to play clean defense and we're going to keep swinging it," said Ewing.