SEATTLE - Seattle University softball (14-10) went for 2.5 games on Saturday afternoon after Friday’s first contest against Montana (4-14) was halted due to weather in the First Hill area. The Redhawks completed the first three game sweep of the Grizzlies, downing Montana 7-3, 6-3 and 8-7 to move to 3-0 at Logan Field in the early season.
Game One (Resumed from Friday):
Graduate Jay Ross and junior Avari Morris went for a pair of hits in the first victory over Montana, while Morris picked up 2 RBI for her second home run of the season. Both senior Ava Sin and junior Sophia Kissling scored two runs, while Sin matched Morris with 2 RBI following her own homer in the contest.Sin and Morris were pivotal in mounting the early frame comeback after the Grizzlies struck first in the top of the third.
Earning the start from the circle and collecting the win was freshman Kaia Galaviz. She pitched 6.0 innings and faced 24 batters while striking out five. Junior Berkley Vance closed out the resume game alongside Galaviz and pitched the final frame. Vance faced six batters and did not concede a hit or run.
Aiding the defense was junior Karen Spadafora. She paced the team with eight putouts while freshman Audrey Borup tacked on five putouts from first base. Senior Brooklyn Jones led the team with three assists from third base.
Montana scored a pair of runs in the top of the third after a SU error in the infield. The Redhawks responded with a pair of 2 RBI home runs in the bottom of the third before the contest was halted due to weather and safety precautions. The Grizzlies scored their final run of game one in the top of the fifth off an RBI double before sophomore Abbie Fales cushioned the SU lead with a 2 RBI single in the bottom of the fifth. Senior Taylor Fitch crafted the RBI sac fly in the bottom of the six to score the final run of the contest before the Redhawk defense secured the victory 7-3 in the top of the seventh.
Game One Doubleheader:
Sin matched her career high of three hits to pace the Redhawks offensively in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader. She combined for all three hits in three at bats, including a double, and scored a run. Morris went for two hits for the second time in as many games, while six other Redhawks posted hits in the game.
Junior Mikee Morris and Spadafora each tallied home runs in the game, while Spadafora led the team with 3 RBI, scoring two additional base runners off her homer.
Dual threat Avari Morris guided the victory from the circle, pitching all 7.0 innings of the contest. She faced 27 batters and struck out a season high eight batters. Sin led the Redhawks with seven putouts while Fitch, Ross and Jones each tallied two assists.
SU struck first in the bottom of the third off of Mikee Morris’ solo shot just inside the left field line. Montana responded with a run of its own to level the game 1-all heading into the fifth. Avari led a 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts in the fifth but the Grizzlies would strike back in the sixth with their go-ahead run off an RBI triple.
Sin and Fales went back-to-back with doubles to even the contest for the second time before Jones scored Fales from second with an RBI single. Up 3-2 with two runners on, Spadafora came in to pinch hit and sent out her fourth home run of the season to give SU the 6-2 advantage. Montana pushed for a comeback in the top of the seventh, getting a run through and maintaining loaded bases but the Redhawks would turn a double play to cap the contest 6-3.
Game Two Doubleheader:
Mikee Morris led the team in the final game of the day, tallying three hits in four at bats. She was one of three Redhawks with multiple hits in Saturday’s finale, with Fitch and Ross each recording two. Fitch and Morris accounted for four total RBI, while Fales matched the pair with 2 RBI. Ross led the team with two runs scored.
Junior Ellie Bostedt earned the start from the circle and pitched 3.0 innings. Bostedt faced 18 batters and struck out four. Vance tossed the final 4.0 of the game and faced 15 batters while matching Bostedt with four strikeouts.
Ross aided the defense with a new career high nine putouts. Spadafora accounted for six putouts and led the team with two assists.
A high powered offensive first inning resulted in the Grizzlies and Redhawks trading blows. Montana went for five runs on four hits, including a home run, to lead SU 5-0 headed into the bottom of the first. The Redhawks responded with back-to-back triples from Fitch and Morris. A Montana error allowed Fitch to score before Fales pulled the Redhawks within a run with a 2 RBI double.
The Grizzlies struck again in the top of the second with a solo shot home run. Both teams went scoreless in the third before the Redhawks struck hard in the bottom of the fourth. Jones reached first with a base hit before junior Sophia Kissling advanced her into score position with a sac bunt. Mikee Morris tripled before her sister was walked for Fitch to score the Mikee with an RBI single to secure SU’s first lead of the game. Mikee returned with an RBI double in the fifth to push the lead to two runs. Ross scored Spadafora in the bottom of the sixth for the Redhawks’ final run of the game.
After Montana scored in the top of the seventh to pull within a run, Avari and the Redhawks sent down the final three batters to secure the comeback victory 8-7, ending the contest with a strikeout.
Seattle U returns to action for the four game series finale at 1:00 PM. Due to anticipated weather in the area, Sunday’s game, originally scheduled for noon, has officially been moved to the 1:00 PM start. Action is available for streaming on ESPN+. Entry to Sunday’s game is free.
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