Montana opens series at Seattle

Friday, March 6

Seattle, Wash.

7 PM (MT)

Montana

4-12

Seattle

12-10

Montana

Seattle

3/7/2026 10:43:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Box Score 3

By: Montana Sports Information

The Montana softball team opened its four-game series with Seattle on Friday and Saturday with three losses, with Friday's opener getting halted because of rain and resumed and finished on Saturday before that day's originally scheduled doubleheader.

It was two and a half games squeezed into one afternoon and evening at Logan Field. "It was a long day and we battled all the way through," said coach Stef Ewing, whose team lost 7-3, 6-3 and 8-7.

Montana built a 2-0 lead in Friday's opener but trailed 4-2 after three innings when the game was halted due to rain.

When it was resumed on Saturday afternoon, the Grizzlies pulled within a run at 4-3 in the top of the fifth when Anna Cockhill and Grace Lopez hit back-to-back doubles, but the Redhawks would answer with two runs in the bottom half of the inning, then add the game's final run in the sixth to win 7-3.

In Game 2, Kaiana Kong had her best outing of the season, holding Seattle to one run through five innings.

Montana pulled even in the top of the fourth on an RBI ground out by Mackenzie Bekofsky that scored Cockhill. Lopez gave the Grizzlies a 2-1 lead in the top of the sixth with an RBI triple to right that scored Kaci Kiblen.

As they did all day, the Redhawks answered, scoring five runs on five hits off three Montana pitchers in the bottom of the sixth.

Down 6-2, Montana loaded the bases with one out in the top of the seventh and scored on a single by Brianna Gutierrez to make it 6-3. With the bases still loaded, the game ended on a double play.

"We're a team that is learning every pitch of every game," said Ewing. "I love this team's fight. We just have to continue to trust and do the little things. One mistake here, one mistake there and it's the difference in the ball game.

"It kind of feels like the game is testing us right now. You just have to keep going."

Twice defeated but not out, Montana scored five times in the top of the first in Game 3, with Bekofsky and JoJo Christiaens coming through with RBI singles and Madison Tarrant hitting a three-run home run, her first of the season.

"Madi continues to work every single day and really had a good week of practice offensively," said Ewing. "Really happy to see that happen for her and to see the weight come off her shoulders. Now she can have the confidence to go out there and attack pitches."

Seattle scored four times in the bottom half of the inning, made it 6-6 with two runs in the fourth, then added solo runs in the fifth and sixth to go up 8-6.

Lopez led off the top of the seventh with a double to left-center, her fifth hit of the series, and Bekofsky made it 8-7 with a single off the second baseman. With the potential tying run on base, the Grizzlies had two foul outs and a strikeout to end it.

"A lot of positives from today," said Ewing. "We very easily could have walked out of here today 2-1. We're in the ball game. We can score early, we can score late. We continue to juggle around the pitching rotation to see what the best combination is to get us through seven innings."

Lopez, Christiaens, Bekofsky and Gutierrez all had multiple hits through the series' first three games. Kong had a 4.42 ERA over two appearances and 6 1/3 innings of work.

"Kong threw great all day. That was the best she's pitched all year in Game 2. She went through the order multiple times," said Ewing.

"There were some people who really stepped up today. Bri is starting to swing the bat. G-Lo had a great day, Mack made some really nice adjustments. We've got some people doing some quality things. We just have to continue to put it together."

The teams will play one final game on Sunday, with first pitch at 2 p.m. (MT).