Griz drop a pair as homestand opens

Saturday, March 21

Missoula, Mont.

1 PM

Montana

5-20

Pacific

10-20

Pacific

Montana

Photo by: Ryan Brennecke / University of Montana

3/21/2026 8:47:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

By: Montana Sports Information

The Montana softball team dropped both games of a doubleheader against Pacific on Saturday afternoon as the Grizzlies opened a 14-game homestand at Grizzly Softball Field in Missoula.

The Tigers won 9-0 in Game 1 as Alexa Lewis threw a complete game, striking out seven and allowing two hits on the way to a shutout.

Montana lost Game 2 by a score of 9-8, coming back from deficits of 2-0 and 5-3 to tie the game at 5-5 in the bottom of the fourth.

Pacific used a three-run home run to score four times in the top of the seventh to break the deadlock and go up 9-5, but the Grizzlies continued to battle back.

Chloe Saxton hit an RBI double and Mackenzie Bekofsky hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh to bring Montana within a run at 9-8.

JoJo Christians hit a one-out double to center and Madison Tarrant followed with a walk to put the potential winning run on base but the Tigers escaped by getting a pair of flyouts to center.

Montana had 10 hits in the game, the most for the Grizzlies since Feb. 14.

"I will take our effort, our adjustments, the way we pitched in Game 2 all day long, but we have to be able to be that team every time we step on the field," said coach Stef Ewing.

"When we play like that, it gives us an opportunity to be in it."

The excitement of Game 2 followed a quiet start in Montana's home opener, as Lewis allowed a Saxton double in the bottom of the first and a Grace Lopez single in the third and not much else.

She picked up her fifth win of the season while throwing 103 pitches over seven innings.

"She was throwing the power rise and power screw up and in. We weren't on time and it took us too long to make adjustments," said Ewing.

"She threw great but we're a way better offensive team than to put up only two hits."

The final score hid the pitchers' duel that Lewis had with Montana sophomore Cameryn Ortega for most of the game.

Ortega allowed only four hits through five innings, with Pacific going up 1-0 in the top of the third on back-to-back doubles.

That was the score going to the sixth, when the Tigers scored five runs on six hits, with Kaiana Kong eventually replacing Ortega.

"Cam threw great and put up zeroes for us," said Ewing. "When we have a pitcher who does that, our offense can't be nonexistent. We looked a little asleep early in that first game.

"We had quite a conversation between games, that that's not how we're going to play on both sides of the ball. We have to throw the first punch, the last punch and be a team that's always on fire."

Pacific would add three more runs in the seventh off Kong and Carah Sweet.

The Tigers got right back at it in Game 2, using an RBI triple and a wild pitch to go up 2-0 in the top of the first.

This time Montana had an answer. Lopez, Anna Cockhill and Bekofsky all had singles in the bottom of the first and Christiaens had an RBI double as the Grizzlies went up 3-2.

Pacific retook the lead in the top of the second and went up 5-3 in the top of the third.

Montana tied it in the bottom of the fourth. A Jessica Cherms double to center made it 5-4. Lopez followed with an RBI double that scored Cherms.

The game remained deadlocked through the fifth and sixth innings before Pacific scored what would be the winning runs in the top of the seventh.

An infield error extended the inning and the Tigers took advantage, scoring four unearned runs on a double and a pinch-hit three-run home run.

That set the stage for the drama that followed in the bottom of the seventh, with the Grizzlies pulling within one but coming up one final clutch at-bat short of rallying for the victory.

"In Game 2, we had a really nice response but we have to do that all the time. It's about finding that consistency," said Ewing.

"That's the next big step for us, being consistent in what we bring all the time, in our energy and our ability to make adjustments and to stay pitch to pitch."

Lopez went 3 for 4 to continue her recent tear. Over the last five games she is 10 for 18. She scored twice in Game 2, as did Bekofsky, who had two hits and drove in three.

Audri Elias got the start and went 3 1/3 innings. Sweet allowed five hits over 3 1/3 inning. She was replaced by Brooklynn Braun, who faced two batters in the top of the seventh.

The teams will conclude their series with a game at 11 a.m. on Sunday.