Griz host Beavers in three-game series

The Montana softball team will conclude a quick five-game home stand this weekend when it hosts Oregon State in a three-game series at Grizzly Softball Field in Missoula.

Oregon State began playing softball in 1975, Montana in 2015. The teams will be playing for the first time this weekend.

The Grizzlies (7-21) and Beavers (11-13) are scheduled to play single games on Friday at 3 p.m., on Saturday at 1 p.m. and on Sunday at 11 a.m.

Montana goes into the series on a two-game winning streak, the Grizzlies' first winning streak of the season.

Oregon State had its two-game winning streak, highlighted by a 5-2 victory at No. 12 Oregon, snapped with a 4-2 home loss to Rutgers on Tuesday.

The Beavers have played only once since March 9, their home series with Sacramento State last weekend weathered out.

Coverage: All three games of the series will stream on ESPN+. Andrew Houghton will call the games on Friday and Saturday, Ace Sauerwein will be on Sunday's game.

At a glance (Montana): The Grizzlies snapped a six-game losing streak and won back-to-back games for the first time this season with a doubleheader sweep of MSU Billings on Wednesday in Missoula.

Montana scored twice in the bottom of the fifth to win Game 1 by a score of 3-2. The Grizzlies won Game 2 in walk-off fashion, 9-1 in five innings on a Grace Haegele grand slam in the bottom of the fifth.

The opener was highlighted by a two-out rally in the bottom of the fifth and some stellar relief pitching by freshman Cameryn Ortega.

With Montana trailing 2-1 going into the bottom of the fifth, Presley Jantzi doubled with two outs and Hannah Jablonski singled to put runners at the corners for Madison Tarrant.

Tarrant had a pair of run-scoring doubles in Sunday's 5-4 loss at San Diego and came through again. Her two-run double to the gap in left-center gave the Grizzlies a lead they would hold to the finish.

The Yellowjackets led 2-0 before the game's second out had been recorded, which triggered a change in pitchers, from Brianna Lachermeier to Ortega.

Ortega allowed three hits over 6 2/3 innings, giving up one hit to the final 17 batters she faced. She struck out a season-high five batters to pick up her second win of the season.

Jantzi and Jablonski both went 3 for 3. It was Jantzi's team-leading seventh multi-hit game of the season, the 44th of her career. It was Jablonski's fifth multi-hit game of the season, the 23rd of her career.

Game 2 belonged to Haegele, who got the start at pitcher and the complete-game win while also ending the game with her first career home run, the 15th grand slam in program history.

Haegele faced 17 batters over five innings, allowing a single up the middle in the second and an opposite-field solo home run in the fourth. Her seven strikeouts were a career high.

Sveva Sweeney got Montana on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first with her first collegiate home run that made it 2-0.

The Grizzlies led just 3-1 going into the bottom of the fifth before scoring six runs on four hits and one MSUB fielding error.

After Tarrant walked on four pitches to load the bases, Haegele ended the game with a grand slam to center, her second collegiate base hit, her first home run.

It was Montana's first walk-off home run since Hannah Jablonski did it against Carroll last season, the Grizzlies' first walk-off grand slam since Cami Sellers did it against Carroll in 2021.

Haegele's and Sellers' grand slams have been the only walk-off grand slams in program history.

Anna Cockhill had three stolen bases in Game 2, making her 18 for 20 on the season and matching Gabby Martinez's program record of 18 from 2015.

Montana now has 30 stolen bases on the season, more than the past two years combined. The program record is 47, set by the 2016 team.

The Grizzlies' two wins on Wednesday make them 96-62 at Grizzly Softball Field all-time. Win No. 100 approaches.

Montana notes:

* Jantzi had four hits over her previous 12 games played before breaking out with a 3-for-3 game in Wednesday's opener.

* Jablonski went 5 for 6 in Wednesday's doubleheader. She had been limited to three hits in her previous 11 games played.

* Montana batted .360 against the Yellowjackets with nine extra-base hits. The Grizzlies were 9 for 21 (.429) with runners in scoring position after going 4 for 30 in their previous four games.

* Montana had a two-game ERA of 1.17 to lower its season ERA to 6.74, the lowest it's been since Feb. 14. Ortega lowered her ERA from 6.56 to 5.76 with her Game 1 performance.

* Montana hit two home runs in Game 2 on Wednesday. The Grizzlies' only other two-home run game this season came against Nebraska.

* Montana's 3-2 win in Game 1 was its first victory of the season when scoring three or fewer runs, its second win in 19 games when trailing after the fourth inning.

* Montana had just one error in two games on Wednesday to up its fielding percentage to .950. The Grizzlies have had only three errors over their last six games.

* First-year Montana coach Stef Ewing is an OSU grad and helped the Beavers reach the Women's College World Series for the first time in program history as a freshman in 2006.

That team was inducted into the Oregon State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2023.

* Makena Strong went 2 for 3 in Game 1 on Wednesday, her first multi-hit game of the season, the second of her career.

* Madison Tarrant the last three games: 4 for 8 with three doubles and a triple and five runs batted in.

* Cockhill stole three bases in Game 2 on Wednesday, the second time this season she has had three steals. Gabby Martinez owns the program record of four, set against Saint Mary's in 2015.

* Ortega's 6 2/3 innings pitched in Game 1 matched a season high.

* Sveva Sweeney the last three games: 5 for 9 with two doubles and a home run, four runs scored, three batted in.

* Montana had 10 hits in Game 1 on Wednesday, the Grizzlies' fourth-highest total of the season, their first time with 10 or more since Feb. 15.

At a glance (Oregon State): The Beavers are in their 13th season under coach Laura Berg. She has taken them to five NCAA tournaments and to the 2022 Women's College World Series.

Oregon State has advanced to play in 15 NCAA tournaments in its history, all taking place since its first appearance in 1999.

The Beavers went to nine straight NCAA tournaments, from 1999 to 2007, under former coach Kirk Walker, who was replaced after the 2012 season by Berg.

Oregon State went to Super Regionals in 2006 and '22, both times advancing to the NCAA Women's College World Series.

Oregon State went 21-29 a season ago, 9-15 in league, its last in the Pac-12. The Beavers are playing this season in the West Coast Conference.

Oregon State was picked third out six teams in the WCC preseason coaches' poll, coming in behind Saint Mary's and Loyola Marymount while receiving one first-place vote.

Senior Lici Campbell and junior Nicole Donahue were voted to the preseason All-WCC team for position players.

The Beavers have played two common opponents with Montana: CSU Northridge and Grand Canyon.

Oregon State got by CSUN 1-0 on an RBI double in the bottom of the seventh and lost 1-0 at Grand Canyon on a GCU home run in the bottom of the sixth.

Montana lost 9-1 and 4-0 against Northridge and 3-1 and 8-0 at Grand Canyon.

Oregon State is hitting .252 through 24 games, which ranks 225th nationally. Jada Lewis (.361) and Morgan Howey (.307) are the lone batters hitting over .300.

Lewis is a first-year transfer from Arizona State.

The Beavers have a team ERA of 3.46, with Ellie Garcia (3.20) and Logan Hulon (3.47), who have combined to start all 24 games, both sub-3.50 for the season.

Garcia began her career at Nevada. Hulon played at both Houston and Texas before landing at Oregon State.

Upcoming: Montana will make a four-game road trip to Colorado, opening league at Big Sky preseason favorite Northern Colorado before getting a one-off game at Colorado State.

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Players Mentioned

Anna Cockhill

Grace Haegele

Hannah Jablonski

Presley Jantzi

Brianna Lachermeier

Cameryn Ortega

Makena Strong

Sveva Sweeney

Madison Tarrant

University of Montana Athletics