Griz sweep doubleheader on historic afternoon

Friday, April 17

Ogden, Utah

1 PM

Montana

16-28, 6-4

Weber State

13-34, 4-6

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Montana	0	1	0	0	2	1	0	4	6	1
Weber State	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	2	4	1

Photo: Robert Casey (Weber State Athletics)

4/17/2026 8:11:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Montana Sports Information

Doubleheader sweeps don't get much more memorable than what the Montana softball team pulled off on Friday afternoon at Wildcat Softball Field in Ogden, Utah.

The Grizzlies used the right arms of Carah Sweet and Kaiana Kong, who combined to limit Weber State to four hits, to win the opener 4-2, their first win over the Wildcats on their home field since 2017.

The win, both thorough and complete, also snapped Montana's 10-game losing streak against Weber State, dating back to 2023.

For as satisfying as the result in Game 1 was, it was Game 2 that will carry on in the Grizzlies' memories long after this season is over, probably outlasting their playing careers as well.

Trailing 6-0 after three innings, a potential here-we-go-again moment, Montana stormed back with 11 unanswered runs, six of those coming in the top of the seventh, to win 11-6.

Down 6-5 going into the top of the seventh, Montana got a lead-off double from Chloe Saxton, then simply overwhelmed Weber State, hitting three home runs to give the Grizzlies five for the game.

That power output matched the program record for home runs in a game. Rallying from six runs down to win matched the third-largest deficit overcome in program history.

"I don't think I'll ever forget it, just an incredible seventh inning," said second-year coach Stef Ewing, whose team is still in the hunt for a Big Sky championship after being picked last in the preseason poll.

"Pretty special moment and time for this team to go out there and say, so what if we were picked to finish last in this conference? We're just going to be us and do what we do."

What they're doing is hanging within a game of preseason favorite Idaho State, one weekend before the Bengals travel to Missoula to wrap up the regular season.

The Grizzlies' seven Big Sky wins are the most since 2021. Montana hasn't finished with a Big Sky record above .500 since 2019. "They are doing their talking with how they're playing on the field," said Ewing.

For as wild as Game 2 turned out to be, the opener was Montana simply taking care of business.

Kailee Mejia hit a solo home run in the second, Mackenzie Bekofsky and Grace Lopez had RBI doubles in the fifth and Bekofsky added an RBI single in the sixth as Montana built a 4-0 lead.

That was plenty of support for Sweet, who allowed one hit through the first five innings. She gave up a pair of RBI hits in the bottom of the sixth before being relieved by Kong.

Kong didn't allow a hit over 1 1/3 innings to collect her third save. Sweet improved to 7-6, winning for the seventh time in eight decisions.

"Carah was great and Kong looked phenomenal. Our pitchers are doing their job and (catcher Madison Tarrant) continues to call great games," said Ewing. "She is doing a great job calling pitches."

It was the fourth time in four Big Sky series that Montana looked excellent in Game 1, previously defeating Portland State 5-0, Northern Colorado 10-0 and Sacramento State 9-6 in those series' openers.

Montana followed with a 10-1 loss to Northern Colorado and 9-3 setback against Sacramento State in the back half of those series-opening doubleheaders.

Which is why the start of Game 2 on Friday – Weber State 6, Montana 0 after three innings – felt so ominous, so here-we-go-again.

But after getting to Montana for six runs on eight hits in less than three complete innings, Weber State wouldn't score again.

Audri Elias shut down the bottom of the third with a strikeout, then made it to the finish without the Wildcats scoring another run. She even picked up the win when Montana rallied for the victory.

"She was phenomenal today," said Ewing. "At times when she started to get a little sped up, Madi did a great job of going out and slowing her down.

"She continues to get better every time she's in the circle. Great performance by Audri to come in and shut them down and keep us in the game and give us a chance."

The comeback felt like a slow-developing avalanche, the Grizzlies getting on the board on a sacrifice fly by Brianna Gutierrez in the fourth and pulling within 6-2 on a Jessica Cherms home run in the fifth.

Then it began to pick up speed. JoJo Christiaens hit a one-out triple in the sixth, with Bekofsky following with an RBI single. Gutierrez later in the inning hit a two-run home run to make it 6-5.

For the avalanche to reach full power, it needed a little boost in the top of the seventh, which Saxton provided when she led off with an opposite-field double to the fence in right-center.

"That was huge. She made a good adjustment and let the ball travel a little," said Ewing. "She came through in a huge moment, a senior who owned her moment."

Just like that, the tying run was in scoring position with nobody out. Montana was hoping to at the least tie it. Instead the Grizzlies buried the Wildcats

Christiaens had the biggest blow, a three-run home run that made it 8-6 and gave the Grizzlies their first lead of the game.

After Bekofsky drew a walk, Tarrant made it 10-6 with a two-run home run. Cherms later added her second home run of the game to make it 11-6.

Ewing was asked after the game: which result was more pleasing to a coach, the one-sided feel of Game 1 or the comeback win in Game 2?

"Game 2 for sure, just given our struggles in Game 2 since the Portland State series, of being able to be that team in Game 2 that we are in Game 1," she said. "It was an incredible response by the team.

"There was no panic. In the sixth and seventh, we weren't holding any pressure. We were just playing. Really proud of them. We looked like a very experienced, mature team in Game 2."

That's saying something, considering the makeup of the team, a roster with only three upperclassmen, with only one senior.

Elias, a freshman, faced three batters in the bottom of the seventh to close it out and pick up her third win of the season.

Christiaens, a sophomore, had a double, a triple and a home run in Game 2 while driving in three. Gutierrez, a freshman, drove in three, with Cherms, also a freshman, hitting a pair of home runs.

Only one other freshman in program history had previously hit a pair of home runs in a single game, Lexie Brenneis in 2015.

All that youth is coming of age and they're becoming a threat because of it. "We're seeing a lot from our freshmen and sophomores," said Ewing. "The game is starting to slow down for them. It's fun to see."

Montana ended the doubleheader with 11 extra-base hits, four doubles, one triple and six home runs. The Grizzlies' 39 home runs on the season are just four shy of the program record, set in 2022.

"We'll take the power. We've turned the corner offensively," said Ewing. "We believe that we can hit up and down the line-up and people are coming through."

The teams will play the series finale at noon on Saturday. Montana has never swept a series against Weber State.