Friday, April 10
Sacramento, Calif.
11 AM (MT)
Montana
15-24, 5-2
9
at
6
Sacramento State
24-15, 3-4
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montana | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 12 | 2 |
| Sacramento State | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 11 | 0 |
Montana earns split as road series opens
4/10/2026 6:59:00 PM | Softball
The Montana softball team won one and lost one on Friday as its three-game series against Sacramento State opened at Shea Stadium in rainy central California.
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The Grizzlies (15-25, 5-3 BSC) won the opener, scoring seven runs in the top of the fifth to pick up a 9-6 win, a victory that ended some one-sided streaks.
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Montana snapped a 14-game losing streak to the Hornets (25-15, 4-4 BSC) and won at Shea Stadium for the first time since 2017.
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Montana had lost its last 20 regular-season match-ups against Sacramento State, dating back to 2018.
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"To be able to come here, to their house, given the history of these two program and how much they've dominated our program, I think it's a statement win for us," said coach Stef Ewing.
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Montana went up 1-0 in the top of the first, then fell behind 2-1 as Sacramento State scored a run in the third, another in the fourth off Griz starter Carah Sweet.
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With her team trailing for the first time in the game and facing a 3-2 count, Anna Cockhill led off the top of the fifth with her ninth home run of the season to quickly tie it.
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Montana was just getting started. Mackenzie Bekofsky drew a bases-loaded walk, Brianna Gutierrez hit the Grizzlies' second grand slam in seven days and Chloe Saxton added a solo shot.
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Sacramento State, which has one of the nation's top ERAs, had allowed only 11 home runs through its first 38 games of the season. The Grizzlies hit three in the top of the fifth.
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"I loved the way we came out in Game 1. I love the way we're swinging the bats," said Ewing.
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"Hitting is contagious. We had some great swings. It's great to have people producing all around the line-up. We continue to have people come through and own it in those pressure situations."
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By the time the inning was over, Montana led 8-2. The only thing capable of slowing the Grizzlies down was a rain delay that lasted nearly 90 minutes.
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Sweet would return to the circle and give up a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth. Kaiana Kong come on in relief and pitched the rest of the way.
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Sweet got the win to improve to 6-6. She has won six of her last seven decisions.
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"Carah was rolling and doing great, then the long rain delay happened. You never know what's going to happen with a pitcher after that," said Ewing. "Carah and (Kaiana) did a great job."
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The Hornets hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the first in Game 2 and added two more in the second to go up 5-0. They scored four in the fourth to build a 9-1 lead on their way to a 9-3 win.
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Cockhill had an RBI single in the third for Montana's first run. Kailee Mejia had an RBI single in the fifth, as did Jessica Cherms as the Grizzlies avoided a run-rule loss and extended the game to seven innings.
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Brooklynn Braun pitched the fifth and sixth innings for Montana in relief of Cameryn Ortega and Audri Elias. Braun held the Hornets hitless over her two innings of work.
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"I loved how Brooklynn threw today," said Ewing, whose team will face a big Game 3 on Saturday, just as the Grizzlies did last weekend after opening with a Friday split against Northern Colorado.
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"We've got to clean some things up for tomorrow. We have to play a little bit better defense. We know it's going to be a battle. I anticipate it being a high-scoring affair."
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Saxton and Madison Tarrant both had two hits in Game 2, giving Saxton four hits for the doubleheader. Tarrant, Cherms, Mejia and JoJo Christiaens all went 3 for 7 for the two games.
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Saturday's finale is scheduled to start at noon (MT).
Â
The Grizzlies (15-25, 5-3 BSC) won the opener, scoring seven runs in the top of the fifth to pick up a 9-6 win, a victory that ended some one-sided streaks.
Â
Montana snapped a 14-game losing streak to the Hornets (25-15, 4-4 BSC) and won at Shea Stadium for the first time since 2017.
Â
Montana had lost its last 20 regular-season match-ups against Sacramento State, dating back to 2018.
Â
"To be able to come here, to their house, given the history of these two program and how much they've dominated our program, I think it's a statement win for us," said coach Stef Ewing.
Â
Montana went up 1-0 in the top of the first, then fell behind 2-1 as Sacramento State scored a run in the third, another in the fourth off Griz starter Carah Sweet.
Â
With her team trailing for the first time in the game and facing a 3-2 count, Anna Cockhill led off the top of the fifth with her ninth home run of the season to quickly tie it.
Â
Montana was just getting started. Mackenzie Bekofsky drew a bases-loaded walk, Brianna Gutierrez hit the Grizzlies' second grand slam in seven days and Chloe Saxton added a solo shot.
Â
Sacramento State, which has one of the nation's top ERAs, had allowed only 11 home runs through its first 38 games of the season. The Grizzlies hit three in the top of the fifth.
Â
"I loved the way we came out in Game 1. I love the way we're swinging the bats," said Ewing.
Â
"Hitting is contagious. We had some great swings. It's great to have people producing all around the line-up. We continue to have people come through and own it in those pressure situations."
Â
By the time the inning was over, Montana led 8-2. The only thing capable of slowing the Grizzlies down was a rain delay that lasted nearly 90 minutes.
Â
Sweet would return to the circle and give up a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth. Kaiana Kong come on in relief and pitched the rest of the way.
Â
Sweet got the win to improve to 6-6. She has won six of her last seven decisions.
Â
"Carah was rolling and doing great, then the long rain delay happened. You never know what's going to happen with a pitcher after that," said Ewing. "Carah and (Kaiana) did a great job."
Â
The Hornets hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the first in Game 2 and added two more in the second to go up 5-0. They scored four in the fourth to build a 9-1 lead on their way to a 9-3 win.
Â
Cockhill had an RBI single in the third for Montana's first run. Kailee Mejia had an RBI single in the fifth, as did Jessica Cherms as the Grizzlies avoided a run-rule loss and extended the game to seven innings.
Â
Brooklynn Braun pitched the fifth and sixth innings for Montana in relief of Cameryn Ortega and Audri Elias. Braun held the Hornets hitless over her two innings of work.
Â
"I loved how Brooklynn threw today," said Ewing, whose team will face a big Game 3 on Saturday, just as the Grizzlies did last weekend after opening with a Friday split against Northern Colorado.
Â
"We've got to clean some things up for tomorrow. We have to play a little bit better defense. We know it's going to be a battle. I anticipate it being a high-scoring affair."
Â
Saxton and Madison Tarrant both had two hits in Game 2, giving Saxton four hits for the doubleheader. Tarrant, Cherms, Mejia and JoJo Christiaens all went 3 for 7 for the two games.
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Saturday's finale is scheduled to start at noon (MT).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Sweet, Carah (6-6)
L: Ortiz, A. (9-7)
Batting:
2B: Christiaens, JoJo 1 ; Cherms, Jessica 1
HR: Saxton, Chloe 1 ; Cockhill, Anna 1 ; Gutierrez, Brianna 1
RBI: Saxton, Chloe 1 ; Cockhill, Anna 1 ; Mejia, Kailee 1 ; Bekofsky, Mackenzie 1 ; Gutierrez, Brianna 4
Base Running:
RUNS: Lopez, Grace 1 ; Saxton, Chloe 1 ; Cockhill, Anna 1 ; Biehl, Danielle 1 ; Mejia, Kailee 2 ; Cherms, Jessica 1 ; Bekofsky, Mackenzie 1 ; Gutierrez, Brianna 1
SB: Lopez, Grace 1
CS: Boer, Hailey 1
Batting:
2B: Evers-Lyles 1 ; Mendoza, M. 1
HR: Malepeai, L. 1 ; Garcia, S. 1
RBI: Garcia, E. 1 ; Malepeai, L. 1 ; Garcia, S. 3 ; George, M. 1
SF: Garcia, E. 1 ; George, M. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Malepeai, L. 1 ; Mendoza, M. 2 ; Garcia, S. 1 ; Epperson, F. 1 ; George, M. 1
SB: Mendoza, M. 1 ; Epperson, F. 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballINF/C
/ Softball
INF/OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
INF/UTL
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
C
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