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2018 softball season thread

logchain20 said:
I don't exactly know the injury and amount of time out due to injury, but she (Lyons) got hurt last Sunday. Return unknown. But, I see McAlister returned to the lineup after her injury that sidelined her for a couple of weeks.
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Thanks.
 
14 shutout innings of 5 hit, 17 k dominance by Coleen and Michaela during day 1 in Eugene yesterday. Pitching is getting on track and the O is getting a little more consistent now that Coach is beginning to find a line up that’s working. After another shot at Toledo today, the girls take a crack at #3/6 ranked Oregon with a follow up tomorrow. Go Griz!!
 
Congrats to Tristin Achenbach with the no hitter vs Providence. The 3rd no-no in program history, the first two belonging to Maddy Stensby. All three were 5 inning mercy rule games. Stensby also no hit Providence when they were called Great Falls with the other coming against Portland State. Achenbach’s only major goof yesterday was thinking the inning was over after a strike out for the second out. :D :clap: :clap:
 
Here's that walkoff home run.
Montana freshman, Jessica McAlister, playing at third base today, hit a first-pitch extra-innings walkoff home run to give the Griz a 2-1 win over Utah Valley University. Until that point the game was a well-played pitchers' duel between Montana's Michaela Hood (the winner) and UVU's Addie Jensen. The two pitchers scattered a combined 15 hits and stranded a combnined 15 runners. Great game. Excellent defense by both teams. The blast was McAlister's second hit of the day.
EDITED POST: My apologies to both pitchers! Correct pitcher names are Montana's Michaela Hood and UVU's Addie Jensen. Both pitched outstanding games.

[tweet]https://twitter.com/MontanaGrizSB/status/974802569842143232[/tweet]
 
grizzlyjournal said:
Here's that walkoff home run.
Montana freshman, Jessica McAlister, playing at third base today, hit a first-pitch extra-innings walkoff home run to give the Griz a 2-1 win over Utah Valley University. Until that point the game was a well-played pitchers' duel between Montana's Michaela Hood (the winner) and UVU's Addie Hood. The two pitchers scattered a combined 15 hits and stranded a combnined 15 runners. Great game. Excellent defense by both teams. The bast was McAlister's second hit of the day.

[tweet]https://twitter.com/MontanaGrizSB/status/974802569842143232[/tweet]
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Pretty great. I watched the whole game up to two outs in the top of the 9th. My wife insisted we leave for dinner and of course I missed the homerun. Thanks for posting!
 
A few extra details on Montana's walkoff win over Utah Valley U. on Friday:
• It was the first walkoff win by homer in Montana's young softball history.
• It was the first-ever (walkoff, I believe) for McAlister... and also her first homer as a Montana Grizzly.
• If you watch the replay (above), the young man on the other side of the fence (jumping) is McAlister's brother.
• It was sophomore pitcher Michaela Hood's fourth win of the young season (4-6) and moved Montana to 11-17 on the year so far.
• Senior 1B, Ashlyn Lyons drove in Montana's first run of the win.
• The attached photos of Hood and McAlister were taken just after Montana's win. Jessica is holding the ball she hit over the fence. Congrats Montana SB on a great win for the young program.
BTW: Upgraded facilities are incredible. Missoula fans should plan to catch a game asap.

[tweet]https://twitter.com/quartzglen/status/974857482353885186[/tweet]
 
GRIZ sweep UVU -- Montana freshman hurler, Tristin Achenbach (3-2), took another stride toward solidifying Montana's deep pitching rotation with a 4-hit, complete game muzzling of the Utah Valley University Wolverines today. It didn't matter that she allowed a first-inning run because Montana's bats erupted for five runs in the bottom of the frame and the Griz coasted to an 8-2 win. Shortstop Delene Colburn slammed a two-run homer to left center in the first, while Ashlyn Lyons added a solo homer in the fourth. Another frosh, Jessica McAlister continued her solid D at third with two hits and an rbi. Montana completes its tough pre-season schedule at 12-17. They'll open Big Sky conference play next week with three games at Idaho State. Go Griz. Watch Colburn's blast below.
[tweet]https://twitter.com/MontanaGrizSB/status/975074411555377152[/tweet]
 
GRIZ TAKE TWO STRAIGHT from ISU: Montana ace, Michaela Hood, spun a one-hit shutout in Montana's opening game of Big Sky play, as the Griz eked out a 1-0 victory against Idaho State in Pocatello. Hood struck out 7 Bengal batters, including a swinging K for the game's final out (with runners on 2nd & 3rd). Montana catcher, Madison Saacke got the game's only RBI, a single to left center in the top of the first that scored Ashlyn Lyons. Great way for Hood to start conference play.

ADD-ON: And... a second straight Montana pitching gem as Maddy Stensby tosses a five-hit game and the Griz go 2-0 in conference with a 6-1 win over ISU in Saturday's double header at Pocatello. Delene Colburn and Madison Saacke each drove in 2 runners for the Griz, who got seven hits total. Montana broke things open in the top of the seventh with 3 runs on 3 hits, aided by a critical ISU error. Ashlyn Lyons also got an RBI for the Griz.

The teams play the final game of the series Sunday afternoon.

Yeah, it's real early... but still nice to see Montana alerady in sole possession of first place after their first two games in conference play.
 
grizzlyjournal said:
GRIZ TAKE TWO STRAIGHT from ISU: Montana ace, Michaela Hood, spun a one-hit shutout in Montana's opening game of Big Sky play, as the Griz eked out a 1-0 victory against Idaho State in Pocatello. Hood struck out 7 Bengal batters, including a swinging K for the game's final out (with runners on 2nd & 3rd). Montana catcher, Madison Saacke got the game's only RBI, a single to left center in the top of the first that scored Ashlyn Lyons. Great way for Hood to start conference play.

ADD-ON: And... a second straight Montana pitching gem as Maddy Stensby tosses a five-hit game and the Griz go 2-0 in conference with a 6-1 win over ISU in Saturday's double header at Pocatello. Delene Colburn and Madison Saacke each drove in 2 runners for the Griz, who got seven hits total. Montana broke things open in the top of the seventh with 3 runs on 3 hits, aided by a critical ISU error. Ashlyn Lyons also got an RBI for the Griz.

The teams play the final game of the series Sunday afternoon.

Yeah, it's real early... but still nice to see Montana alerady in sole possession of first place after their first two games in conference play.
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Those are also our first ever victories in Pocatello. Of course, this is a much different Bengal team then in years past. But road wins aren’t easy wherever you are and to win the opening series in con play and a possible sweep, is a big step in the right direction.
 
Montana got a gutsy 4-1 series opening win over Southern Utah, thanks to great at-bats in the top of the 7th from Lexi Knauss and Tori Lettus... an SUU fielding error on a hot smash to 3rd by Morgan Johnson, and then solid singles by Gabby Martinez and Delene Colburn. The rally broke-open a 1-1 tie, which was finished off nicely by Montana pitcher Colleen Driscoll, who got the win. Starting pitcher Michaela Hood struggled with control (very cold & windy day) through two innings, allowing 5 base-runners but no runs, so manager Melanie Meuchel brought-in Diriscoll, whose control was spot-on throughout, allowing a single run on a long ball in the bottom of the fifth. It was fun to watch solid bat presence from batters in the bottom half of the order force the action... also nice to see Gabby and Delene get solid RBI hits to extend the lead. Very odd to see that it's 3-5 degrees colder in Cedar City than in Missoula, with a very stiff wind blowing in from left-center.
 
AND..... (Montana 5, SUU 3) Montana toughed-out the elements for a 5-3 win over Southern Utah, clinching a Friday sweep and a change for a series sweep. Montana got its runs with timely hitting, but I thought this win belonged to pitcher Maddy Stensby... a complete-game win where she got tough when it was needed. It was, of course, impossible to hear what coach Melanie Meuchel said to Stensby when -- in the bottom of the 6th -- Stensby was clearly rattled, after losing control of the strike zone for awhile. But with no outs and two runners on base, Meuchel went to the mound and got pretty animated (for her!). Stensby responded & finished the inning, and the game, with flair... a very good sign for Montana's pitching. As mentioned above, Colleen Driscoll also pitched a solid game earlier in the afternoon.
[tweet]https://twitter.com/MontanaGrizSB/status/984940861828968448[/tweet]
 
Some big much needed wins indeed. Montana has gone out and won the games they should. With a win today and PSU coming to town next weekend, the Hriz can set themselves up for with good spot in the standings heading into the final two weekends on the road at UNC and at home against my preseason favorite Sac St.
 
Another inspiring 7th inning Montana rally, keyed by back-to-back RBI from Delene Colburn and Ashlyn Lyons and anchored buy the masterful pitching of winning pitcher Colleen Driscoll catapulted the Griz to a 4-3 W and a 3-game sweep vs. Southern Utah. Congrats Griz! Can't say enough about the gutsy pitching performance by Driscoll, who was on top of her game throughout. Maddy Stensby started... and also pitched tough, but gave up three runs early. Discoll's pitching, particularly her rising fastball, kept SUU batters off balance. In the top of the 7th, Alex Wardlow walked & Gabby Martinez bunted for a single, and MacKenna McGill advanced the runners with a sacrifice before Colburn's smash RBI single tied it. Ashlyn Lyons then laced a twisting liner down the left field line, scoring Martinez, but Colburn was called out on a slide and hard collision at home that the SUU catcher somehow held onto. No matter. Driscoll and team survived a popup lost in the sun by Colburn & the Griz played perhaps their finest three-game series of the year. Congrats Montana! Go Griz.[tweet]https://twitter.com/MontanaGrizSB/status/985257339392475136[/tweet]
[tweet]https://twitter.com/MontanaGrizSB/status/985254825045602304[/tweet]
 
Does anybody know what is going on with Michaela Hood??? She has not pitched since the first game at Southern Utah when she came out in the third inning??
 
84GRIZ said:
Does anybody know what is going on with Michaela Hood??? She has not pitched since the first game at Southern Utah when she came out in the third inning??
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I was at Saturday's games vs. PSU and overheard some folks talking. Evidently she is dealing with an "arm issue." A lot of conjecture, since the coaches are following protocol and keeping student health issues confidential (was what I heard).

The good signs are that Montana's pitchers have done very well in Michaela's absence. The Griz have the Big Sky's top ERA at .302, despite the 1-2 weekend against Portland State. Hood (.278 era), Colleen Driscoll (.282 era) and Maddy Stensby (.329 era) are ranked among the league's top 7 pitchers. Freshman Tristin Achenbach pitched really well in two relief appearances over the weekend as well.

Montana defense continues to be stellar as well with the Griz leading the conference with a .969 fielding ratio.

Hitting? Well, seniors Ashlyn Lyons and Delene Colburn have the Big Sky's third and fourth best batting averages at .369 and .368 respectively. From there though, Montana's hitting drops off sharply. The Grizzlies are ranked seventh (out of 8) in Big Sky team batting average at .247 overall. It's just that over the weekend's three games the Griz left 22 runners stranded (almost all in scoring position) at critical junctures; that happens in softball.

My personal view is that the kids are battling... and getting better game by game. The team will have to finish in the top 6 (of 8 teams) to make the tourney. With two weeks left, Montana's in fourth place, with a pretty decent shot of qualifying. I, like everyone else, am hoping Michaela can get back to pitching soon. If not, I believe they have the pitchers, and the players to compete well in a double elim. tourney setting.
 
grizzlyjournal said:
84GRIZ said:
Does anybody know what is going on with Michaela Hood??? She has not pitched since the first game at Southern Utah when she came out in the third inning??
Click to expand...

I was at Saturday's games vs. PSU and overheard some folks talking. Evidently she is dealing with an "arm issue." A lot of conjecture, since the coaches are following protocol and keeping student health issues confidential (was what I heard).

The good signs are that Montana's pitchers have done very well in Michaela's absence. The Griz have the Big Sky's top ERA at .302, despite the 1-2 weekend against Portland State. Hood (.278 era), Colleen Driscoll (.282 era) and Maddy Stensby (.329 era) are ranked among the league's top 7 pitchers. Freshman Tristin Achenbach pitched really well in two relief appearances over the weekend as well.

Montana defense continues to be stellar as well with the Griz leading the conference with a .969 fielding ratio.

Hitting? Well, seniors Ashlyn Lyons and Delene Colburn have the Big Sky's third and fourth best batting averages at .369 and .368 respectively. From there though, Montana's hitting drops off sharply. The Grizzlies are ranked seventh (out of 8) in Big Sky team batting average at .247 overall. It's just that over the weekend's three games, the Griz left 22 runners stranded (almost all in scoring position) at critical junctures; that happens in softball.

My personal view is that the kids are battling... and getting better game by game. The team will have to finish in the top 6 (of 8 teams) to make the tourney. With two weeks left, Montana's in fourth place, with a pretty decent shot of qualifying. I, like everyone else, am hoping Michaela can get back to pitching soon. If not, I believe they have the pitchers, and the players to compete well in a double elim. tourney setting. Go Griz.
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