Pitching leads the way as Griz win two

Friday, February 6

San Diego, Calif.

Noon (MT)

Montana

1-1

Wagner

0-2

Wagner

Montana

2/6/2026 5:46:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Montana Sports Information

"It was a good day, a real good day." It's been a while since a Montana softball coach could say that after a pair of Division I games early in the season. It's a new era, indeed.

Facing Wagner and Saint Louis on Day 2 of the La Jolla Invitational at UC San Diego, the Grizzlies willed their way to a 2-1 victory over the Seahawks, then shut down and ran away from the Billikens by a score of 9-0 on a coming-of-age Friday at Triton Softball Field.

"Thrilled about how today went," said Ewing, who used 16 players on Friday, 13 of them underclassmen. "This group is just getting started."

For all the power Montana showed against Saint Louis – three home runs, two coming off the bat of Anna Cockhill – it was the Grizzlies' pitching that stole the show in the back-to-back wins.

Cameryn Ortega was brilliant against Wagner, giving up a lead-off single before setting down the next 15 batters she faced, giving way to Kaiana Kong in the sixth.

Against Saint Louis, which won 34 games last season, the Atlantic-10 tournament and played in the NCAA tournament, freshman Audri Elias allowed four hits over six innings to get her first collegiate win.

For the day, pitching coach Megan Casper's staff allowed nine hits and one run over 14 innings, striking out 11 while walking only three. The Seahawks and Billikens hit .176 against Montana.

"Just a tremendous day by our pitching staff. Audri was great today, Cam was great. It's what we know this group is capable of," said Ewing. "It's a good day to be Coach Casper. She's beaming."

It took until the bottom of the fourth against Wagner before either team could put a run on the scoreboard.

Kong hit a two-out single through the left side, then Mackenzie Bekofsky hit an RBI double to center that scored pinch runner Ava Puttler.

Wagner tied it in the sixth on an infield single before Montana answered right back, loading the bases in the bottom half of the inning and going back up a run on a Jessica Cherms walk.

"It's just a different mentality. They were not going to lose Game 1. When (Wagner) ended up tying the game, you just saw a different look in their eye. Nope, we've got this," said Ewing.

"This group has really bought into the idea that we're going to fight the fight until they tell us it's over. It's great to see from a young team."

The win wouldn't come without plenty of drama, after Wagner put runners on second and third with one out in the top of the seventh.

Kong got a huge strikeout for the second out, then got a come-backer that she tossed to first for the game-winning put out.

"Took me about 45 minutes for my heart rate to go down after that one," said Ewing. "I told them after Game 1, we're going to enjoy this for 10 minutes, then we've got another ball game."

There would be no letdown. Against Saint Louis, Montana pounded out 14 hits, the most for the Grizzlies since last Feb. 14.

After Cherms led off the top of the third with a double to right-center, Cockhill blasted a home run to left, matching her total as a freshman and giving Montana a 2-0 lead.

Bekofsky, who went 4 for 7 on Friday, led off the top of the fourth with a solo home run. Grace Lopez later added an RBI single, JoJo Christiaens a two-run single as Montana went up 6-0.

Cockhill hit her second home run in less than an hour in the sixth, making it 7-0. Montana added two more runs in the top of the seventh, with Brianna Gutierrez collecting her first collegiate hit and RBI and Cockhill adding an RBI single.

Cockhill matched her career high with three hits against Saint Louis and drove in a career-high four.

Lopez, batting second, had three hits against the Billikens, as did Bekofsky, who batted sixth in the order. Cherms, batting ninth, had two hits and scored twice.

"We had some people really come through," said Ewing. "Just consistency up and down the order."

After Christiaens got the start at first base on Thursday as Montana opened the season with an 11-9 loss to Saint Louis, Ewing started Gutierrez at first base on Friday, moved Christiaens to left and started Chloe Saxton, the team's lone senior, at third.

Saxton had a hit in both games on Friday. "Chloe had a great day today," added Ewing. "We have some dynamic playmakers who are willing to do the job, no matter what it takes.

"I love to see these young ladies play the way we've seen them play and know they can."

Elias never allowed Saint Louis to get going offensively. She was relieved in the seventh by Carah Sweet, who threw a scoreless inning in her Griz debut.

Montana will face Wagner again on Saturday at noon (MT), then play host UC San Diego at 5:30 p.m. (MT).

"We are going to enjoy today, then we're going to go back to the hotel, get some sleep, wake up and do it all over again," said Ewing. "We're going to get right back after it. We've got to do the same thing tomorrow."