Griz keep it rolling, sweep Redhawks

Tuesday, March 24

Missoula, Mont.

11 AM

Montana

8-22

Seattle

14-16

Seattle

Montana

Photo by: Tommy Martino/University of Montana

3/24/2026 3:52:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Montana Sports Information

The Montana softball team scored three runs in the bottom of the first and used a strong effort from three pitchers to defeat Seattle 6-2 on Tuesday at Grizzly Softball Field in Missoula.

It gave the Grizzlies (8-22), who won 7-5 and 6-5 on Monday, a sweep of the Redhawks (14-16) and their first series sweep at home since the 2019 season.

"We're showing up to the ballpark now with our shoulders back and ready to go and ready for the fight," said second-year coach Stef Ewing, whose team has won three straight for the first time in her tenure.

"We get it. We're confident. We believe in it. A little mistake here or there is not a big deal. We just move on and keep going. They are staying composed and going out and playing the game."

The story of the series finale was sophomore Carah Sweet, who was making her third start of the season against an offense that was hitting .322 and averaging more than six runs per game.

She allowed just one run in five innings of work, a solo home run in the fourth. When she was pulled after allowing a lead-off single in the top of the sixth, she had allowed only five hits.

"I'm at my best when I keep myself very calm and remind myself that whatever happens, happens," said Sweet, who needed just 67 pitches to collect her second win of the homestand and of the season.

"I always know I'll get the next one. I know that I can make (hitters) make the mistakes and that my defense will have my back."

Montana went up 3-0 in the first, the Grizzlies getting a jump-start when Anna Cockhill drew a walk and Chloe Saxton followed with a double to extend her hitting streak to a career-best nine games.

Mackenzie Bekofsky opened the scoring with a single to right. Madison Tarrant made it 3-0 with a two-run double to the fence in left.

Those would be all the runs the Grizzlies would need, with Sweet passing the ball to freshman Audri Elias in the sixth, with Elias handing the ball off to Kaiana Kong in the seventh.

Kong picked up her first save as a Grizzly after needing only three pitches to get the final two outs with two runners on base.

"Carah was outstanding and did a great job of being herself and trusting her stuff," said Ewing. "Seattle scores a lot of runs. She did a great job of keeping them off balance and throwing good pitches.

"Really proud of our pitchers. They have worked so hard and put so much time in to make improvements. That hard work is showing.

"Outstanding job today by our pitchers to be able to go out when there was pressure and people on base and be able to get out of it. Loved to see that from them today."

Despite its strong start, Montana had just two hits over the next four innings, with Abbie Fales' home run in the fourth making it a two-run game.

It got uncomfortably close when Fales came up in the top of the sixth with two on and two out, a game that felt like Montana was controlling now a swing from tilting in Seattle's favor.

Elias got a line out to second, then Montana finally got separation in the bottom of the sixth.

Pinch hitter Hailey Boer led off with an infield single. One sacrifice bunt later, Cockhill was hit by a pitch. Two batters later, Bekofsky strode to the plate with two outs and two on.

She had struck out twice in her previous two at-bats, with Seattle working her hard just off the outer edge of the plate. In her fourth at-bat of the day, she was ready.

After working the count full, she launched her fourth home run of the season well over the fence in right-center to put Montana up 6-1.

"For Hailey to come in and find a way to get on base and start the party was huge for us," said Ewing.

"Then Mack had the big swing. They were getting her out on that outside pitch and she finally made an adjustment on it. Big moment for her."

After Kong got a grounder to first to end the game, the Grizzlies acted like they had during the game's first pitch, like they had expected to play well and expected to win.

They've come a long way. "It took us several games and several tough losses to learn that," said Ewing. "Now we're rolling into conference play with that."

Montana will open league with a home series against Portland State on Saturday and Sunday at Grizzly Softball Field.

"These kids feel like everything we've talked about and everything we've worked on, it's working now," said Ewing.

"Here we are with three wins in a row going into conference play, feeling really confident, swinging the bats well, pitching really well, playing better defense. Bring on the Big Sky. Let's go."