Montana drops finale at Portland State

Sunday, April 13

Hillsboro, Ore.

2 PM (MT)

Montana

8-33, 1-8

Portland State

11-33, 4-5

Montana

Portland State

Photos: Scott Larson, PSU Athletics

4/13/2025 6:01:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

By: Montana Sports Information

The Montana softball team dropped the finale of its three-game series at Portland State on Sunday afternoon at Hillsboro Stadium, falling 6-2.

The Grizzlies (8-33, 1-8 BSC) scored the game's opening run in the top of the first and trailed 3-2 after four innings before the Vikings (11-33, 4-5 BSC) pulled away, scoring the final three runs.

Montana picked up its first league win of the season on Saturday in Game 1, winning 7-0. Portland State won Game 2 by a score of 4-1.

Saturday's split had the Grizzlies playing for their first Big Sky Conference series win since 2022 on Sunday.

"We were in a position to win a series, something we haven't done as a program in a while," said coach Stef Ewing.

"It's an opportunity we kind of let slip through our hands. We had our chances and just didn't get the job done."

Montana scored first in all three games of the series, but only the Grizzlies' early lead in Game 1 held up.

In Game 2, Portland State answered Montana's first run in the top of the second with a two-run bottom half of the inning.

In Sunday's Game 3, the Grizzlies got on the scoreboard in the top of the first when Anna Cockhill drew a lead-off walk, advanced to third on a Presley Jantzi single and scored on a passed ball.

Portland State scored once in the bottom of the first, twice in the bottom of the second, and Montana never held the lead again.

"We have to be able to sustain momentum when we get it," said Ewing. "We continued today to let them grab momentum and keep it.

"That's as simple as having some quality at-bats, not going out 1-2-3, not taking strike one, strike two. We're still playing better softball. We're in games. We have to find a way to finish."

The Grizzlies pulled within 3-2 in the top of the third when Chloe Saxton singled up the middle to score Jantzi from second but that would be Montana's final run of the game.

The Grizzlies left two on in the third and had base-runners in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings but couldn't push them across home plate.

The Vikings went up 5-2 in the fifth on a two-run home run and added their final run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly.

"We had some opportunities today and didn't take advantage of them and they did," said Ewing, whose team batted .169 in the series and had a 2.95 ERA.

"We had moments this weekend when we had really good situational hitting, we had some moments when we pitched really well. We have to continue to build off that."

Grace Haegele started for Montana and took the loss after allowing Portland State's opening three runs. Grace Hardy, Brianna Lachermeier and Cameryn Ortega pitched in relief.

Hardy got her first collegiate win on Saturday and ended the weekend with a 2.80 ERA over five innings of relief. "Grace had a really nice weekend," said Ewing.

Montana's four hits in the game came from Jantzi, Saxton, Hannah Jablonski and Sveva Sweeney, who had a pinch-hit single in the seventh. Cockhill stole her 24th base of the season.

Montana will conclude its road trip with a game at Oregon State at noon (MT) on Monday. The teams played a series in Missoula last month, with the Beavers sweeping their way to 5-3, 3-2 and 6-0 victories.

"We know their two pitchers, so we've got to swing it and play clean defense," added Ewing. "It's going to continue to come down to us swinging the bats. We have to be able to put together some offense."