Griz, Bears split as series opens

Friday, April 3

Missoula, Mont.

2 PM

Montana

12-22, 4-0

Northern Colorado

16-20, 2-2

Northern Colorado

Montana

Photo by: Coral Scoles-Coburn/University of Montana

4/3/2026 9:03:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

By: Montana Sports Information

Montana and Northern Colorado split a doubleheader on Friday as the teams opened their three-game Big Sky Conference series at Grizzly Softball Field in Missoula.

The Grizzlies (12-23, 4-1 BSC) won the opener 10-0 in six innings, the home team pulling away in what had been a tight contest with an eight-run bottom of the sixth.

The game ended on a walk-off, three-run home run by Anna Cockhill and gave Carah Sweet her second shutout in a span of seven days.

It was Montana's largest margin of victory in a shutout of a Division I opponent in program history, the Grizzlies' largest margin of victory in a Big Sky game since 2022.

Montana went up 1-0 in the bottom of the first in Game 2 on an RBI double by Cockhill, but the Grizzlies would go quiet the rest of the way against UNC starter Grace Algrim, who threw a five-hitter.

Northern Colorado built a 6-1 lead on the strength of three home runs, then closed it out with three runs in the top of the sixth to answer Montana's run-rule victory with a 10-1 win.

"In Game 2, we were cautious and careful. Cautious and careful isn't going to get you anywhere," said coach Stef Ewing. "We allowed them to take us out of our game. That's not who we're going to be."

Montana improved to 4-0 in league with its win in Game 1, the first time in program history the Grizzlies have started their Big Sky schedule with four straight victories.

Even with the loss in Game 2, Montana sits alone atop the Big Sky standings at 4-1.

It wasn't until the completion of Game 2, after the Bears (17-20, 3-2 BSC) had pounded out 12 hits off three Montana pitchers, that Sweet's performance in Game 1 could be truly appreciated.

She allowed two singles in the top of the first, then faced only 17 batters over the next five innings, two over the minimum, setting down 12 straight batters in one dominant stretch.

She allowed three hits, all singles, while striking out three to win her fourth straight decision and lower her ERA to 3.14.

"She continued to be able to elevate the ball on both sides of the plate," said Ewing. "Her change-up was great and worked really well with her curveball and screw.

"Her change-up and her curveball are dynamite pitches. She was able to mix and you've got to be able to mix speeds and mix locations. She did a great job of that."

Chloe Saxton had a run-scoring double in the first, Jessica Cherms had a sacrifice fly in the second as Montana went up 2-0 on UNC starter Anna Wilming, an eight-game winner.

The game remained 2-0 until Montana blew it open in the bottom of the sixth.

JoJo Christiaens hit a two-run home run, Brianna Gutierrez had a two-run single, Saxton had an RBI double and Cockhill walked it off with her team-leading seventh home run of the season.

After Montana took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first in Game 2, Northern Colorado took control over the first six pitches of the top of the second, going single, home run, home run.

The Bears would never give the lead back, as Amailee Morales and Krista Francia both had three-hit games. Francia drove in four, Hayden Nelson drove in three.

"The way they swing the bat, you know there are kids in their lineup who are always going to do something," said Ewing.

"They are going to swing it. They are going to score runs. They are going to have traffic on the bases all day. We have to be able to manage it."

Cockhill went 3 for 3 to extend her hitting streak to 10 games and up her season batting average to .330. Jessica Cherms had Montana's only other hits, her first two-hit game since Feb. 7.

Algrim went the distance, limiting Montana to Cockhill and Cherms' five combined hits. The rest of the team was 0 for 18.

"The biggest thing for me in Game 2 was we didn't make good offensive adjustments quickly," said Ewing. "She did a great job of figuring out ways to get us out.

"We have to figure out ways to put pressure on them every inning offensively. We weren't able to do that and it took the wind out of our sails."

The teams will wrap up their series at noon on Saturday.

"We were relentless in Game 1. We were not in Game 2," said Ewing. "We allowed someone to do what they wanted to do with us. We've got to come out tomorrow and put our foot down.

"We can't let what they do change what we do. That happened today. They got a couple hits and we got on our heels. We have to have a different level of intensity tomorrow, the intensity we had in Game 1."

The University of Montana Grizzly softball team faces University of Northern Colorado at a home game on April 4, 2026 in Missoula, MT.

Montana drops series finale

Saturday, April 04

The University of Montana Grizzly softball team defeats Portland State at a home game on March 29, 2026 in Missoula, MT.

Griz host Bears as homestand continues

Thursday, April 02

Lopez, Sweet honored by Big Sky

Monday, March 30

Griz win 5-4, open league 3-0

Sunday, March 29

Next Event

Northern Colorado

L, 10-14

Apr 4 (Sat)

Noon

Box Score Recap Preview

Full Schedule

Team Stats

Pitching:

W: Sweet, Carah (4-5)

L: Wilming, Anna (8-7)

Northern Colorado

Base Running:

HBP: Walling, Katie 1

Montana

Batting:

2B: Saxton, Chloe 2

HR: Cockhill, Anna 1 ; Christiaens, JoJo 1

RBI: Saxton, Chloe 1 ; Cockhill, Anna 3 ; Christiaens, JoJo 2 ; Cherms, Jessica 1 ; Gutierrez, Brianna 2

SH: Tarrant, Madison 1

SF: Cherms, Jessica 1

Base Running:

RUNS: Lopez, Grace 2 ; Saxton, Chloe 1 ; Cockhill, Anna 1 ; Bekofsky, Mackenzie 1 ; Christiaens, JoJo 1 ; Mejia, Kailee 1 ; Kiblen, Kaci 1 ; Cherms, Jessica 1 ; Puttler, Ava 1