Griz fall on seventh-inning home run

Saturday, April 5

Missoula, Mont.

Noon

Montana

7-31, 0-6

Weber State

17-23, 5-1

Weber State

Montana

4/5/2025 4:17:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Montana Sports Information

It was heartbreak that arrived as the game's fourth and final home run cleared the fence in the seventh inning on a sunny afternoon at Grizzly Softball Field in Missoula.

With her team trailing 3-1, Weber State's Sadie Kirk hit a three-run home run over the fence in left in the top of the seventh on Saturday, giving the Wildcats their first lead of the day.

The home run held up as the game-winning hit as Weber State topped Montana 4-3 to complete the series sweep after winning twice on Friday.

The disappointment in the result overshadowed the fact that Montana played one of its best, most all-around competitive games of the season against a high-quality opponent.

The Grizzlies hit multiple home runs for only the third time this season, got quality outings from three pitchers and were three outs away from picking up their first Division I victory since March 2.

"That's a gut punch but really happy with a lot of the things we did today," said first-year coach Stef Ewing. "We swung the bat really well and showed some power, which are things we haven't had."

After losing 11-2 in five innings and 6-2 in Friday's doubleheader, Montana was on top of its game a day later.

Mackenzie Bekofsky led off the bottom of the third with a solo home run on a full count to open the game's scoring, her first home run as a Grizzly.

After Olivia Birkinshaw answered for the Wildcats in the top of the fourth with her own solo shot, her 10th home run of the season, Kynzie Mohl gave Montana the lead back in the bottom of the fifth.

The senior hit a lead-off home run down the left-field line, her first of the season, the seventh of her career.

"Mac has been hitting so well in practice. You felt if from her. You knew it was coming," said Ewing. "Kynzie has looked really good swinging the bat, too. Really happy for them to get those big swings and give us a chance."

Montana went up 3-1 later in the fifth when JoJo Christiaens and Chloe Saxton hit back-to-back doubles, and the Grizzlies put runners on second and third with one out when Anna Cockhill singled and advanced to second on a play at third.

Montana had what it wanted: two runners in scoring position with one out while holding a two-run lead for Presley Jantzi and Hannah Jablonski, the team's senior leaders in RBIs.

Both hit the ball hard, Jantzi a line drive right back up the middle that Weber pitcher Cali McCraw snagged more on protective reflex than anything, and Jablonski lined out to right field, leaving both runners stranded.

Still, the way Montana was pitching, it felt like a two-run lead might be enough.

Brianna Lachermeier held Weber State scoreless through the first two innings, Grace Hardy pitched the next two and allowed the solo home run.

Grace Haegele pitched the fifth and sixth innings and allowed base runners in both via walks but also ended both innings with key strikeouts, sending the game to the seventh with Montana leading 3-1.

"We had a plan today to have each pitcher throw basically one time through the order," said Ewing. "The way it played out, somebody was going to have to see them for a second time."

Weber State is stacked at the top of its order, and the top of the order is what led off the top of the seventh against Haegele.

The air was thick with drama, a moment had arrived, the type of thing that hasn't presented itself at Grizzly Softball Field for a long while. It was going to be a thrilling finish one way or the other.

Riley Whalen started what would be the game-winning rally with a single up the middle. Haegele thought she had Taegan Smith on a 2-2 pitch that Smith watched, but the call of ball instead of strike extended the at-bat and Smith walked one pitch later, putting two on and ending Haegele's day.

Ewing brought Lachermeier back into the game and Kirk hit the third pitch Lachermeier threw over the fence in left, giving Weber State its first lead of the game. Jubilation in one dugout, heartbreak in the other.

McCraw, who came on in relief in the bottom of the fifth after Mohl's home run, earned her eighth win of the season by putting Montana down in order in the bottom of the seventh on seven pitches.

"Grace (Haegele) was no-hitting them up until the lead-off batter in the seventh, then there was the walk, so we changed it up and they hit it out. That's how it goes sometimes," said Ewing.

"Our pitchers did their job. We gave up the home run in the seventh and they scored one more run than we did. If our pitchers give up four runs, we have a find a way to win those games."

Montana had just five hits in the game, but two went for home runs, two were doubles. The four extra-base hits were the most for the Grizzlies against a Division I opponent since Feb. 21.

"We've said we want to play our best softball in April and we are playing better softball," said Ewing. "As a coach, that's all you can ask for.

"This is the best we've looked offensively and our pitchers threw really well. We're trying to play our best softball this last month of the season. We did that today."

Montana will play a three-game series at Portland State next Saturday and Sunday, then see Oregon State for a fourth time this season with a game in Corvallis on Monday, April 14.