The Sacramento State softball team dropped Sunday’s doubleheader to Montana by identical 3-2 scores to end its three-game series against the Grizzlies this weekend at Shea Stadium.

The Hornets won the first game of the series Saturday after freshman left fielder Suzy Brookshire (2-for-4 at the plate) and senior first baseman Jessica Ravetti (3-for-3) combined for five hits en route to a 5-3 victory.

Montana (21-19, 6-3 Big Sky Conference) responded with a 3-2 win in the first game of the doubleheader against Sac State (13-20-1, 3-5 Big Sky Conference) right-handed senior pitcher Taylor Tessier.

“I thought Taylor grinded through,” Sac State coach Lori Perez said after Tessier finished with 11 strikeouts in seven innings. “She was struggling a little bit hitting her spots (but) really revved back and competed — so I was proud of her performance and wish we could have scored a few more runs for her.”

Sac State took an early 1-0 lead after Brookshire hit an RBI single, but Montana retrieved the lead in the third inning by scoring two runs on an RBI single by Sydney Stities. The Hornets attempted a comeback in the seventh inning after junior right fielder Marissa Maligad drove sophomore designated player Nene Alas home on a single to center field, but Brookshire flew out to center field with runners on first and second to give Montana a 3-2 win.

“I felt like I could have just shrunk the situation (and) thinking what does my team need me to do,” Brookshire said after becoming the final out. “They need me to get on and lead off. Basically, get on base and I hit the ball to the second baseman, but I was really focused and I felt really in it at that at bat.”

The second game of the doubleheader began with Hornets’ right-handed junior pitcher Celina Matthias (6-6) only going 2.2 innings after allowing three runs to the Grizzlies. Sac State pitcher Danielle Sperry threw 4.1 innings of relief in game two and gave up no runs on five hits.

Sac State kept the game close after a wild pitch from Michaela Hood brought Brookshire home in the first inning and an RBI double toward left center field by junior second baseman Zamari Hinton in the bottom of the third inning, pulled the Hornets within one run at 3-2.

The Hornets entered the seventh inning and advanced a runner to third base, but failed again to come back from a 3-2 deficit — making Saturday the only win of the series.

“Yesterday was a whole different team,” Hinton said. “We had fun; we brought energy; we were doing cheers; we just were playing for one another instead playing for ourselves. If we bring that team every day then we will win.”

Sac State will continue Big Sky play as the team travels to North Dakota for a three-game series starting April 14.