The University of Northern Colorado softball team’s season ended Wednesday afternoon with an 11-7 loss to Montana at the Big Sky Conference Tournament at Idaho State University.
The fifth-seeded Grizzlies tied the elimination game with four runs in the third inning and pulled away with a five-run fifth. Montana (22-31) remained alive in the tournament and faced No. 3 Sacramento State later in the day Wednesday.
Sacramento State defeated Montana 10-7 for the right to face No. 1 Idaho State for the tournament championship Thursday.
The host Bengals have not lost in the double-elimination tournament and have to win once Thursday to claim the tournament title and the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Second-seeded UNC finished its season with a 24-27 record. The Bears went to the conference tournament following a roller-coaster regular season in conference play. UNC claimed the second seed on a tiebreaker over Sacramento State and Montana, but inconsistent play apparently continued to follow the Bears.
UNC had a bye early Monday on the opening day of the six-team, four-day tournament. No. 3 Sacramento State defeated UNC 6-5 in the Bears’ first game late Monday afternoon in Pocatello, Idaho. UNC rallied with a 12-3 win over No. 5 Weber State in five innings Tuesday.
On Wednesday against Montana, UNC scored four runs in the bottom of the first and led 5-1 after two innings. Katie Walling and Ella Gonzales both hit 2-run home runs in the first for the Bears. Gonzales scored Walling with a single in the bottom of the second.
The Grizzlies tied the game with four runs on three hits in the third. Montana added another run in the fourth, and scored five runs on seven hits in the fifth — highlighted by Grace Lopez’s 3-run home run.
UNC starting pitcher Anna Wilming went three innings, giving up five runs on five hits with two strikeouts and two walks. Grace Algrim, who helped UNC avoid elimination beating Weber State on Tuesday, came in for Wilming to start the fourth against Monday. Alglrim allowed six runs on eight hits in 1 1/3 innings to take the loss.
Aiyana Cordero and freshman Ellyse Hydock, a Greeley West High School graduate, combined to pitch the final 2 2/3 innings. Hydock gave up a hit and walk in facing eight batters.
