Saturday, February 14
El Paso, Texas
11 AM
Montana
3-5
14
at
15
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UTEP
4-5
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
R
H
E
Montana
0
2
2
0
3
4
3
0
14
12
2
Texas-El Paso
2
6
2
0
2
0
2
1
15
16
0
Photos: UTEP Athletics
Griz drop pair of heartbreakers
2/14/2026 8:07:00 PM | Softball
The Montana softball team lost a pair of tight, one-run decisions against UTEP on Saturday at the Dr. Diana Natalicio Memorial Tournament in El Paso, Texas.
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The Grizzlies lost a back-and-forth battle against the Miners in Game 1, 15-14 in eight innings after they came back from a 12-7 deficit to go up 14-12 in the top of the seventh, only for UTEP to win in eight.
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Montana lost Game 2 by a score of 5-4, the Grizzlies putting multiple runners on base in the top of the seventh before falling to 0-4 on the road trip.
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"We haven't won a game yet in this tournament and I'm sitting here a pretty proud coach with what this group is doing," said coach Stef Ewing.
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"To be able to be in this many close ball games this early in the season, we just need some seasoning and some experience in tight ball games to be able to have those situations not feel so tense."
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Ewing's first Montana team, in 2025, the one that averaged 3.0 runs per game, wouldn't have had much of a chance in Saturday's opener, after UTEP scored 10 runs in the first three innings.
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Eight of those were unearned after a pair of errors and a passed ball on a strikeout on a day that a strong wind caused the outfielders on both teams all sorts of issues.
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Mackenzie Bekofsky hit a two-run home run in the top of the second to tie the game at 2-2. Grace Lopez hit her first home run as a Grizzly in the top of the third to pull the Grizzlies within 8-4.
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UTEP went up 10-4 in the bottom of the third, the game trending more toward a Miner run-rule victory than a game Montana would be within an out of winning.
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Montana scored three times in the fifth, four in the sixth, a two-out bases-loaded double by Kaci Kiblen pulling the Grizzlies within one, 12-11.
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Montana put up three more runs in the top of the seventh, two coming on bases-loaded walks, to take a 14-12 lead.
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The Grizzlies had the Miners down to their final out before a two-run triple tied it and sent it to the eighth, where a bases-loaded single gave UTEP a 15-14 victory.
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"We're never out of a game. We're going to push through and be able to start winning these types of ball games," said Ewing. "It won't be long until we turn games like this into our favor.
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"Really happy with the day. Gutted that we didn't pull out either game but really excited for how much progress we have made. We are doing a lot of things really well."
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Anna Cockhill, Chloe Saxton and JoJo Christiaens all had two-hit games, while Kiblen drove in four, Bekofsky and Lopez three each.
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Carah Sweet, who came on in relief in the bottom of the eighth, took the loss, her first decision as a Grizzly.
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Montana never held a lead in Game 2. UTEP went up 2-0 in the bottom of the first, 5-1 in the bottom of the fifth.
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Freshman Gracyn Graviette made her first collegiate start at catcher and got her first hit as a Grizzly. She singled in the top of the fifth and later scored Montana's first run on a Cockhill triple.
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On a day of firsts, Jessica Cherms hit her first collegiate home run, a two-run shot in the top of the sixth that brought Montana within two, 5-3.
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Down two entering the top of the seventh, Montana had runners all over the bases.
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Hailey Boer led off with a pinch-hit single. Danielle Biehl followed with single to right to put the tying run on the bases for Cockhill, who came through with an RBI single up the middle.
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Boer scored on the play but Biehl was thrown out at third. Cockhill was then caught stealing and the game ended on a Lopez line out to third.
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"Here is what I told the team," said Ewing. "I love our fight. I love the fact we never quit, we never give up. We continue to have great at-bats and we continue to make adjustments.
Â
"We're showing we can score late in games and we're going to fight until they say ball game. That's what you love. We know the quality of the play we're putting on the field is what we need to do.
Â
"Last year we were never in close games in innings five, six and seven. This is a young team that is learning how to play in those pressure-packed situations. We're going to continue to get better at it."
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Cockhill had a two-hit, two-RBI game. Cameryn Ortega got the start and the loss, though only two of the five runs she allowed were earned after three Griz errors.
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Montana will return to Las Cruces and the Troy Cox Classic on Sunday for a noon game against New Mexico State. The Aggies defeated the Grizzlies 8-3 on Friday.
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The Grizzlies lost a back-and-forth battle against the Miners in Game 1, 15-14 in eight innings after they came back from a 12-7 deficit to go up 14-12 in the top of the seventh, only for UTEP to win in eight.
Â
Montana lost Game 2 by a score of 5-4, the Grizzlies putting multiple runners on base in the top of the seventh before falling to 0-4 on the road trip.
Â
"We haven't won a game yet in this tournament and I'm sitting here a pretty proud coach with what this group is doing," said coach Stef Ewing.
Â
"To be able to be in this many close ball games this early in the season, we just need some seasoning and some experience in tight ball games to be able to have those situations not feel so tense."
Â
Ewing's first Montana team, in 2025, the one that averaged 3.0 runs per game, wouldn't have had much of a chance in Saturday's opener, after UTEP scored 10 runs in the first three innings.
Â
Eight of those were unearned after a pair of errors and a passed ball on a strikeout on a day that a strong wind caused the outfielders on both teams all sorts of issues.
Â
Mackenzie Bekofsky hit a two-run home run in the top of the second to tie the game at 2-2. Grace Lopez hit her first home run as a Grizzly in the top of the third to pull the Grizzlies within 8-4.
Â
UTEP went up 10-4 in the bottom of the third, the game trending more toward a Miner run-rule victory than a game Montana would be within an out of winning.
Â
Montana scored three times in the fifth, four in the sixth, a two-out bases-loaded double by Kaci Kiblen pulling the Grizzlies within one, 12-11.
Â
Montana put up three more runs in the top of the seventh, two coming on bases-loaded walks, to take a 14-12 lead.
Â
The Grizzlies had the Miners down to their final out before a two-run triple tied it and sent it to the eighth, where a bases-loaded single gave UTEP a 15-14 victory.
Â
"We're never out of a game. We're going to push through and be able to start winning these types of ball games," said Ewing. "It won't be long until we turn games like this into our favor.
Â
"Really happy with the day. Gutted that we didn't pull out either game but really excited for how much progress we have made. We are doing a lot of things really well."
Â
Anna Cockhill, Chloe Saxton and JoJo Christiaens all had two-hit games, while Kiblen drove in four, Bekofsky and Lopez three each.
Â
Carah Sweet, who came on in relief in the bottom of the eighth, took the loss, her first decision as a Grizzly.
Â
Montana never held a lead in Game 2. UTEP went up 2-0 in the bottom of the first, 5-1 in the bottom of the fifth.
Â
Freshman Gracyn Graviette made her first collegiate start at catcher and got her first hit as a Grizzly. She singled in the top of the fifth and later scored Montana's first run on a Cockhill triple.
Â
On a day of firsts, Jessica Cherms hit her first collegiate home run, a two-run shot in the top of the sixth that brought Montana within two, 5-3.
Â
Down two entering the top of the seventh, Montana had runners all over the bases.
Â
Hailey Boer led off with a pinch-hit single. Danielle Biehl followed with single to right to put the tying run on the bases for Cockhill, who came through with an RBI single up the middle.
Â
Boer scored on the play but Biehl was thrown out at third. Cockhill was then caught stealing and the game ended on a Lopez line out to third.
Â
"Here is what I told the team," said Ewing. "I love our fight. I love the fact we never quit, we never give up. We continue to have great at-bats and we continue to make adjustments.
Â
"We're showing we can score late in games and we're going to fight until they say ball game. That's what you love. We know the quality of the play we're putting on the field is what we need to do.
Â
"Last year we were never in close games in innings five, six and seven. This is a young team that is learning how to play in those pressure-packed situations. We're going to continue to get better at it."
Â
Cockhill had a two-hit, two-RBI game. Cameryn Ortega got the start and the loss, though only two of the five runs she allowed were earned after three Griz errors.
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Montana will return to Las Cruces and the Troy Cox Classic on Sunday for a noon game against New Mexico State. The Aggies defeated the Grizzlies 8-3 on Friday.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Vega, Tatyana (4-2)
L: Sweet, Carah (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Saxton, Chloe 1 ; Christiaens, JoJo 1 ; Kiblen, Kaci 1 ; Tarrant, Madison 1 ; Biehl, Danielle 1
HR: Lopez, Grace 1 ; Bekofsky, Mackenzie 1
RBI: Lopez, Grace 3 ; Christiaens, JoJo 1 ; Bekofsky, Mackenzie 3 ; Kong, Kaiana 1 ; Kiblen, Kaci 4 ; Tarrant, Madison 1
SF: Tarrant, Madison 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Cockhill, Anna 2 ; Lopez, Grace 2 ; Saxton, Chloe 2 ; Boer, Hailey 1 ; Christiaens, JoJo 3 ; Bekofsky, Mackenzie 3 ; Biehl, Danielle 1
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Batting:
2B: Burchard, Marissa 2 ; Carranza, Kenna 1 ; Garcia, Bri 1
3B: Lavas, Brantley 1
HR: Carranza, Kenna 1
RBI: Burchard, Marissa 4 ; Lavas, Brantley 3 ; Munoz, Iliana 1 ; Carranza, Kenna 4 ; Garcia, Bri 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Burchard, Marissa 3 ; Lavas, Brantley 1 ; Munoz, Iliana 1 ; Guthrie, Camrynn 2 ; Carranza, Kenna 1 ; Marquez, Cece 1 ; Garcia, Bri 3 ; Leon, Ari 3
SB: Burchard, Marissa 2 ; Lavas, Brantley 1 ; Leon, Ari 1
HBP: Marquez, Cece 1 ; Garcia, Bri 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
3
H
2
RBI
1
AB
6
R
2
H
1
RBI
3
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballINF/C
/ SoftballINF/OF
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
OF/INF
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
P
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Griz Basketball vs. Idaho Highlights - 2/7/25
Monday, February 09
Griz Football Coach Bobby Kennedy Introductory Press Conference
Friday, February 06
Bobby Kennedy Introductory Press Conference
Thursday, February 05
