Griz end road trip with 8-5 win

Sunday, February 15

Las Cruces, N.M.

Noon

Montana

4-6

New Mexico State

5-7

Montana

New Mexico State

2/15/2026 3:31:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

By: Montana Sports Information

The Montana softball team wrapped up its two-tournament road trip on Sunday with arguably the best win of the still-young Stef Ewing era.

The Grizzlies used timely hitting, Kaci Kiblen's first career home run and a scoreless relief outing by Kaiana Kong to defeat New Mexico State 8-5 in Las Cruces on the Aggies' home field.

It was Montana's first-ever win over New Mexico State in six tries, a team that defeated Minnesota to open play on Sunday at the NMSU Softball Complex.

The blueprint for Sunday's win was the one Ewing set in place for her second Montana team: throw the first punch, handle the counter-punch, then keep going until game's end.

The Grizzlies went up 2-0 in the top of the first, 5-2 in the second, then, after New Mexico State had tied it again at 5-5, added one in the fourth and two in the fifth, runs the Aggies had no answer for.

"This team has really bought into being relentless and continuing to fight," said Ewing.

"We had a lot of fight today and, honestly, I wasn't surprised. We continued to fight back all weekend. I knew that the time was going to come when it was going to shift our way.

"Great way to end the weekend and come home a happy group."

Montana (4-6) jumped ahead early, scoring twice in the top of the first, the second run coming off an RBI single by JoJo Christiaens.

New Mexico State (5-7) tied it in the bottom half of the inning on a two-run home run off Griz starter Audri Elias, who would work two innings, allowing three hits.

After Kong opened the top of the second with a single and Madison Tarrant later walked, Kiblen hit a screamer over the fence in left for her first collegiate home run.

"Her confidence has to be over the moon," said Ewing of Kiblen. "It was a line drive that probably never got more than 12 feet off the ground. She looked really comfortable in the outfield as well."

Ewing has been tweaking her outfield starters since opening day, Kiblen one of four players to start in left this season through 10 games.

"We've had a little bit of a revolving door in center and left," said Ewing. "We're looking for people who are going to step up. Glad to see some of our freshmen starting to settle in and just be ballplayers."

After New Mexico State tied it with three runs on one hit in the bottom of the second, the teams played a scoreless third before Montana took the lead for good.

Cockhill drew a lead-off walk, stole second with one out, then scored the game-winning run on a two-out single up the middle by Mackenzie Bekofsky.

Montana went a solid 4 for 11 (.364) with runners in scoring position and had three hits with two outs.

After Tarrant singled through the left side with one out in the fifth, Cockhill hit a two-out double to left to make it 7-5. Cockhill later scored on an Aggie error to put the Grizzlies up 8-5.

Cockhill had a monster road trip, going 9 for 16 (.563), with a double, a triple and a home run. She drove in six and scored five times.

Bekofsky, Kong and Christiaens had four-hit road trips, while six other players had multiple hits, with Grace Lopez and Jessica Cherms joining Kiblen in hitting their first collegiate home runs.

"We had people come through with two-strike hits, two-out hits," said Ewing. "It was really nice to see. Really happy with the way the girls played today.

"We moved runners and had people come through up and down the lineup, and that's what we need to do in order to be successful.

"I really think this group is just getting started. We continue to mature every inning and every pitch."

New Mexico State had no final answer because of the work done by Kong, who replaced Elias to start the bottom of the third.

The first-year transfer allowed five hits over five innings and kept the Aggies off the scoreboard.

She got out of a two-out, bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the fourth, then allowed three singles over the final three innings to improve to 2-1.

Montana will face UC Santa Barbara, Grand Canyon, San Diego and North Florida next weekend at GCU's Purple Classic in Phoenix.