Blue Raiders top Griz in California

Sunday, February 12

Riverside, Calif.

10 AM (MT)

Montana

0-5

Middle Tennessee

4-1

Montana

Middle Tennessee

2/12/2023 1:57:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

By: Montana Sports Information

The Montana softball team lost its final game of the Lynn Russell Miller Classic in Riverside, Calif., on Sunday, falling to Middle Tennessee 9-3.

The Grizzlies (0-5) went winless at their season-opening tournament.

Montana took its first lead of the season in the top of the second when Kelly Sweyer scored on a fielder's choice.

Sweyer, the Grizzlies' designated player in all five games, led off the inning with a double to left. She went 6 for 16 at the tournament with three doubles to bat a team-best .375.

Maggie Joseph got the start for Montana and worked out of a two-on, one-out jam in the first but issued three straight two-out walks in the second and was replaced by freshman Grace Haegele.

The Blue Raiders tied it in the bottom of the second on a wild pitch, then took the lead for good in the bottom of the third with four runs on four hits off Haegele, who pitched the final 4 1/3 innings.

Montana scored its second run in the top of the fourth when Kynzie Mohl drove in Julie Phelps from second with a double to left, her first collegiate extra-base hit.

One inning later, another first as Hannah Jablonski led off the fifth with a solo home run to center on a 1-0 pitch. It was her first collegiate home run and brought Montana within two, 5-3.

Jablonski went 5 for 14 (.357) at the tournament. Four of her five hits went for extra bases, with three doubles and a home run.

Middle Tennessee pulled away with three runs on three hits in the bottom of the fifth, then added the game's final run in the sixth.

After dropping its season opener 1-0 to Middle Tennessee on Friday morning, Montana, playing without Dana Butterfield, allowed eight or more runs its last four games and had a tournament ERA of 7.72.

Montana will play games against CSU Bakersfield, Hawaii and the host Rebels next weekend at the UNLV Desert Classic in Las Vegas.