Montana Takes Series From @BearsSoftball

Saturday, April 15

Missoula, MT

1:00 pm

University of Northern Colorado

16-29, 4-8

University of Montana

24-19, 9-3

Northern Colorado

Montana

4/15/2017 4:56:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

By: Thomas Hoffman, uncbears.com

BOX SCORE (PDF)

Missoula, Mont – Northern Colorado Softball found themselves down early Saturday against Montana. A late-inning surge made things interesting, but the Griz broke open in the game in the sixth to win the final game of the series, 11-5.

HOW IT HAPPENED
After a quiet first inning, Montana looked eager to pick up the offense they had found in the second game on Friday. A single and a double gave an early, 1-0, lead to the Griz in just the first two batters of the half inning. By the time UM scored their third run of the inning, head coach, Shana Easley called upon Valerie Vidal to come in relief.

Inhereting two base runners, Vidal only gave up a single run before the end of the first. Still, the Bears trailed early, 4-0.

Jordyn Wiatrak, who tied the game a day before on a three-run home run, was inches from another solo shot to lead off the second. Northern Colorado garnered two more base runners, but were again thwarted by the Montana defense before scoring.

Erica Dick, UNC's do everything athlete, raced up the line for an infield single. Two batters later, Kaley Garcia doubled to right center and the speedy Erica Dick made it all the way around the horn to put the Bears on the board.

The Griz were threatening again in the bottom of the third inning with a duo of runners on the base pads. After a long at-bat, Valerie Vidal finally won the battle on a sneaky off-speed pitch to get the strikeout to end in the inning.

With one out in the top of the fifth inning, Erica Dick stepped to the plate eyeing to spark her offense. Struggling slightly during yesterday's affairs, Erica sent her a message over the left field fence that won't land until it makes its way back to Greeley. More importantly, she brought the Bears even closer to Montana, just trailing, 4-2.

Montana answered quickly, however, leading off the bottom half of the fifth with a triple off the center field wall. In the next at-bat, the Griz launched a home run to left, extending their lead, 6-2.

Autumn Anderson came in during the fifth in after a lead-off walk. Two free passes later, Montana had the bases loaded with nobody out. The Freshman did all she could during the jam, giving up only two runs. However, with just two innings remaining, Northern Colorado trailed, 8-2.

Kaley Garcia led the sixth inning off with a single, giving UNC some life in the penultimate frame. When Rachel Johnson also reached aboard, the duo advanced another base after a wild pitch. Up stepped the freshman, Sophia Taylor. Taylor rocketed a single bringing in both Johnson and Garcia. Now within four, Kelli Kleis came in to pinch hit, with Taylor standing on second after a second wild pitch in the inning. Kleis delivered with her third hit of the season, scoring Taylor and climbing to just three runs behind the Griz.

Jayme Reddacliff came back on to pitch in the sixth with runners on first and second. Before the senior could force the innings' final outs, three more runs came across home plate for Montana, giving them insurance for the final frame, leading, 11-5.

No fireworks came for Northern Colorado in the final inning. Three more outs gave Montana their third win in a row against the Bears, 11-5.

KEY STAT
Runners on third with less than two out – Montana was perfect in those situations going 4-4, while UNC never managed to get a runner in that particular spot.

MOST VALUABLE BEAR
Kaley Garcia – The centerfielder went 2-4 Saturday with a double, a run scored and an RBI. Garcia also made the game's arguably best defensive play, chasing down a fly ball in left center.

IN THEIR WORDS
Shana Easley, Head Coach
"The series didn't go the way we wanted and while our bats came alive more in that last game. We need to put it all together and have consistent and competitive at-bats when our pitchers are throwing well. Similarly, today we needed to compete better in the circle and that would have given ourselves a chance to win that final game. Hopefully, we can put things together this week against CSU and UND."

NOTABLES

Eight different Bears earned hits Saturday.
UNC batted excellent in two-out situations, going 6-13 (.462)
Kelli Kleis grabbed her third hit on the season, an RBI single in the sixth inning.
Valerie Vidal and Jayme Reddacliff each tallied two strikeouts.

UP NEXT
Northern Colorado returns home on Tuesday for the final matchup of the year against Colorado State. They'll continue Big Sky play at home on Friday versus North Dakota.