MISSOULA, Mont. – The Utah Valley University softball team fell to Montana, 8-2, in the series finale on Saturday afternoon at Grizzly Softball Field in Missoula.
 
The Wolverines drop to 7-15 on the year with the setback, while the defending Big Sky champion Grizzlies improved to 12-17 after sweeping the three-game non-conference series.
 
Utah Valley got off to a strong start by manufacturing a run in the top of the first to take a 1-0 advantage. Skylar Cook started the rally with a leadoff single and a stolen base, while Kirsten Andersen followed with a walk and both runners advance into scoring position on a passed ball. Cook later came home on a one-out sacrifice fly from Peyton Angulo to make it 1-0.
 
The Grizzlies didn't waste any time answering, however, as they countered back with five runs of their own in the last of the inning to take a 5-1 lead. Delene Colburn delivered a two-run homer early in the frame and three more runs came in unearned following a UVU fielding error to give UM the early lead.
 
With Montana later holding to a 6-1 advantage in the third, Angulo then delivered once again for the Wolverines by driving out a two-out solo home run to make it a 6-2 contest.
 
The Grizzlies later tacked a run in the fourth and another in the fifth to put the game away.
 
Lexi Sorensen (0-2) took the loss for Utah Valley after allowing five earned runs on 10 hits while going the distance in the circle. UM's Tristin Achenbach (3-2) earned the win for the Grizzlies after giving up just one earned run on four hits in the full 7.0 innings of work.
 
Angulo led the UVU offense on the day while going a perfect 1-for-1 with a homer, a run scored, a walk and two runs batted in. Cook, Basia Query and Karly Bunderson too added a hit apiece in the game for the Wolverines.
 
MaKenna McGill led UM by going 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.
 
With the setback, the Wolverines have now dropped five straight ballgames.
 
After playing its first 22 games of the 2018 season away from home, Utah Valley will now finally return to Orem to host its home opener on Wednesday, March 21. The Wolverines will host both Idaho State and Utah State that afternoon. UVU and ISU is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start, while UVU versus in-state rival USU will follow at 3:30 p.m.