Griz drop doubleheader to Bengals

Friday, April 18

Pocatello, Idaho

12:30 PM

Montana

8-35, 1-9

Idaho State (DH)

30-13, 9-1

Montana

Idaho State

Photo by: UM Photo/Coral Scoles-Coburn

4/18/2025 6:51:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Montana Sports Information

The Montana softball team had a breakout day with the bats on Friday against the Big Sky Conference's top pitching staff but couldn't hold down Idaho State enough to earn a win as the teams opened a three-game series at Direct Communications Field at Miller Ranch Stadium in Pocatello.

The Bengals (31-13, 10-1 BSC) pounded out six home runs to win Game 1 by a score of 17-8, then turned 14 hits, including three more home runs, into a 9-4 victory in Game 2.

Montana's eight runs in Game 1 and 10 hits in Game 2 were the most for the Grizzlies in more than two months.

"Big day at the plate. It was nice to see the weight come off our shoulders and bang the ball around," said coach Stef Ewing, whose team hit five home runs in the doubleheader, which was played in sunshine and blowing snow and everything in between.

"We knew it was going to come. We've had a lot of really good days of practice when we've swung it well."

The hitting star for Montana (8-36, 1-10 BSC) was senior Jessica Stanfield, who entered the day with two home runs in her three seasons as a Grizzly and nine hits this season, only two since the start of March.

She hit three home runs on Friday, a two-run shot in the 2nd, a solo blast in the fifth in Game 1, then another solo home run in the fourth in Game 2.

It was the first two-home-run game for Montana since 2022, the first for a Grizzly against a Division I opponent since Cami Sellers hit a pair against Grand Canyon in 2021.

"What a special day for her. Love that for that kid. Really proud of her," said Ewing. "She's worked so hard and has continued to stay positive.

"She had an incredible fall for us and a tough start to the season. It's a great story of being relentless and just keep going no matter what. She's never gotten negative and has just continued to work. When you do that, it comes around and it came around for her."

Montana got off to a good start in Game 1, scoring twice in the top of the first. Anna Cockhill led off with a single up the middle, Presley Jantzi followed with a single to shortstop and Hannah Jablonski doubled off the wall in left to make it 1-0.

One batter later, Madison Tarrant hit a sacrifice fly to left to score Jantzi and make it 2-0.

That would be Montana's only lead as Idaho State scored six in the first, seven in the second and four in the third, the Bengals' six home runs and 17 runs both matching the most ever allowed by the Grizzlies.

Idaho State only had nine hits, one more than the Grizzlies, but the Bengals were aided greatly by Montana, which issued a program-record 12 walks and hit two batters. Six home runs and a double turned all those baserunners into a five-inning run-rule victory.

"It just wasn't our day in the circle," said Ewing. "We gave them a lot of free baserunners in that first game."

Montana continued to have its moments. Stanfield's first home run of the day made it 6-4 in the top of the second. Jablonski later in the inning hit her own two-run home run to even the score at 6-6.

With Stanfield's second home run in the fifth, it was Montana's first three-home-run game since 2022.

But it wasn't nearly enough to keep up with the Bengals, who went 9 for 19 in the game, their official at-bats limited because of the number of free passes issued by Montana.

The Grizzlies opened the scoring again in Game 2 when Kynzie Mohl hit a solo home run to right in the top of the second.

Idaho State answered with two runs in the second, three in the third to go up 5-1. The Bengals would hit three more home runs in Game 2.

The Grizzlies hit their way back into the game in the top of the fourth. Stanfield led off the inning with a home run to make it 5-2. JoJo Christiaens later had an RBI single to right to make it 5-3.

With two runners still on base, Montana hit into an inning-ending double play, leaving it a two-run game.

It was still 5-3 in the bottom of the fifth when Idaho State put two runners on with two outs for Belle Navarrete, who hit a fly ball to center that Stanfield jumped for and got her glove on at the fence, but the impact of her arm on the fence forced the ball out and into home-run territory to make it 8-3.

Ava Brown hit her third home run of the day for Idaho State to make it 9-3 in the sixth. The Grizzlies pulled within 9-4 in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Jablonski.

Jablonski, hitless in Montana's previous six games, went 4 for 6 on the day with four RBIs. Stanfield went 3 for 6 with four runs scored, four driven in.

Montana batted a healthy .346 in the doubleheader, Idaho State a robust .460 with 55 total bases.

The teams will play the series finale on Saturday at 1 p.m.