Griz fall twice to Toreros

Sunday, March 16

San Diego, Calif.

Noon (MT)

Montana

5-20

San Diego (DH)

13-16

Montana

San Diego

Photo by: Victor Perez/University of Montana

3/16/2025 6:03:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Montana Sports Information

The Montana softball team dropped both games of a doubleheader against San Diego on Sunday at Del Norte High School.

The Grizzlies (5-21) lost the opener 4-0 before falling in the final match-up of the three-game series 5-4 on a walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh.

Montana fell behind in the finale 3-0 before mounting a comeback that tied the score at 4-4 in the top of the sixth.

Madison Tarrant had an RBI double in the fourth that made it 3-1, JoJo Christiaens had an RBI double in the fifth that closed the gap to 3-2.

After the Toreros (14-16) built their lead to two runs, 4-2 in the bottom of the fifth, the Grizzlies tied it in the top of the sixth.

Hannah Jablonski led off getting hit by the first pitch of the inning. Two batters later, Tarrant drove her in with a double down the left-field line to make it 4-3.

With pinch runner Mackenzie Bekofsky at third, Presley Jantzi hit a sacrifice fly to center that tied the game at 4-4.

Montana had a golden chance to take the lead in the top of the seventh. After Anna Cockhill drew a one-out walk and advanced to second on a fly out, Jablonski, with two outs, hit one to right that was caught on a dive to end the inning.

San Diego won it with a solo home run on the first pitch in the bottom of the seventh.

Tarrant and Sveva Sweeney both had a pair of hits in the game as the Grizzlies had their highest hits output of their last five games.

"It was nice to see some adjustments made and some girls really come through and step up in the last game," said coach Stef Ewing. "It was good to see the bats come alive.

"The luck didn't swing our way in that game, but we competed. The bats came alive and that's what we needed. We need to take that momentum into this week at home."

In Sunday's opener, Montana left six runners stranded through the opening five innings to get shut out for the third time in four games.

Grace Haegele got the start and went five innings, her longest outing of the season in just her second appearance.

San Diego went up 1-0 in the bottom of the first, then scored three runs on three hits in the bottom of the fifth to gain some separation.

Haegele also got her first collegiate hit in Sunday's opener, singling to right field in the top of the second.

Montana had its chances in Sunday's second game. The Grizzlies, in a scoreless game, loaded the bases in the top of the third with one out but a line-out to left led to an inning-ending double play.

The Grizzlies left runners on in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Montana stranded 20 runners in the series while batting .159 over the three games.

San Diego scored three runs in the third, one in the fifth and the winning run in the seventh.

Brianna Lachermeier got the start and pitched three innings, striking out three. Cameryn Ortega threw the final three innings.

Montana had a team ERA of 5.44 in the series to lower its season ERA to 7.19.

After playing its first 26 games on the road, Montana will get its next five at Grizzly Softball Field, starting with a Wednesday doubleheader against MSU Billings (8-14) at noon.

Montana will host Oregon State (11-12) next weekend, with single games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Oregon State's home series against Sacramento State, scheduled for this weekend, was canceled because of weather. The Beavers host Rutgers on Tuesday.