North Texas Daily

Last weekend, North Texas softball completed a four-game sweep against the University of Texas-El Paso. The series saw the Mean Green outscore their opponents by a grand total of 31-6.

“We hit the ball good,” Head coach Rodney DeLong said. “In that first game we played really good defense, Gigi [Wall] threw well and Hope [Trautwein] came in and closed the door. Overall it was a good effort and our energy was great all day.”

Game 1: North Texas 9, Texas-El Paso 1

Senior Hope Trautwein took the circle for North Texas (24-9, C-USA 6-3) on Friday in her first start since making history the previous Sunday. Trautwein pitched all five innings for the Mean Green, giving up a run on five hits, seven strikeouts, and two walks.

Sophomore Kelly Isabella started for UTEP (8-20, 3-9 C-USA), pitching 2.2 innings for the Miners, and giving up three runs on four hits, four strikeouts and a walk.

After a scoreless first frame, the Mean Green struck first in the top of the second on an error that scored freshman infielder Maia Wark.

The Miners tied the score in the bottom half of the second, scoring their only run in the contest on a senior Ilena Santos single.

North Texas did not allow the game to be tied for long, as the offense retook the lead on graduate outfielder Tuesday DerMargosian’s second home run of the season.

After Trautwein regained her composure in the third and fourth innings to keep the score 2-1, the Mean Green offense combusted in the top of the fifth.

Wark started the big scoring inning for North Texas, going deep with a two-run home run to make the score 4-1. The home run was Wark’s second of the year, and first in conference play.

Freshman outfielder Kalei Christensen then added another to the Mean Green’s tally with a single to right field, followed by three RBI base hits by freshman infielder Candain Callahan, DerMargosian and junior infielder Tayla Evans. As the dust settled, North Texas found themselves up 9-1 with a run-rule victory looking imminent.

In the bottom of the fifth, Trautwein concluded her eighth win of the season. Isabella suffered the loss — her fifth of the season.

Game 2: North Texas 4, Texas-El Paso 1

Saturday’s first game of a doubleheader was the closest game in the series, as Mean Green pitching once again held the Miners to a singular run.

Graduate Gigi Wall started for the Mean Green, going five innings and allowing a run on three hits, a walk and two strikeouts. Isabella took the circle again for the Miners, throwing 2.1 innings while allowing a run on four hits and a strikeout.

Freshman infielder Kailey Gamble started the scoring in the contest, hitting an RBI single to give North Texas a lead that they would not surrender in the top of the second. Freshman catcher Ashlyn Walker hit in Gamble later in the inning to give Wall a two-run lead going into the home half of the second.

After Wall kept UTEP off the board in the middle innings, DerMargosian hit her second home run of the series to extend the Mean Green’s lead to 3-0 in fifth.

Wall ran into trouble in the bottom of the fifth after loading the bases. Freshman Ashlynn Allen hit in the Miners only run in the game on an RBI fielder’s choice. Wall would escape the inning with only one run surrendered.

The top of the sixth saw North Texas score their fourth run on Evan’s second RBI single in as many days.

Trautwein would relieve Wall in the bottom of the sixth, and finish out the game, gaining her sixth save of the year.

Wall would score her team-leading tenth win of the year in the game, with the loss going to UTEP sophomore lefty Zaylie Calderon.

Game 3; North Texas 11, Texas-El Paso 2

Saturday’s second game came with a deciding win. The Mean Green’s offense continued to produce, tying their season-high run total of 11.

Freshman southpaw Janie Worthington started for the Mean Green. She threw three innings, allowing no runs, striking out one, walking one and gave up two hits. Freshman righty Mackenzee Collins took the circle for UTEP, pitching in two innings for the Miners and giving up four runs on four hits, a walk and a strikeout.

DerMargosian and Wark carried on their momentum for North Texas, starting the game with a knock and a blast. The knock came from a leadoff hit by DerMargosian, while the blast came from the bat of Wark, who hit her second home run of the series to produce a first inning 2-0 lead.

Christensen started the scoring in the second inning for North Texas, hitting her second home run of the year to extend the Mean Green’s lead to three. Dermargosian hit an RBI double that made the score 4-0 and forced Collins out of the game.

Christensen would get her second RBI of the game in the third inning on a single to center field. The run extended North Texas’ lead to five.

Sophomore righty Ariel Thompson would take over on the mound for Worthington in the top of the fourth.

The bottom of the fourth saw the Mean Green score six runs to put the game out of reach for the Miners. Most notably, senior infielder Miranda Holguin hit her second RBI of the season in what was her sixth hit of the year.

UTEP would score two runs on an RBI single by Allen in the bottom of the fourth.

With an 11-2 lead, and within run-rule range, junior righty Bailey Tindell entered the circle in the fifth inning. Tindell was able to close out the Miners and give North Texas the series win.

Worthington earned her fifth win of the season while Collins suffered her eighth defeat.

Game 4: North Texas 7, Texas-El Paso 2

In the fourth game of the weekend, North Texas completed the sweep in El Paso. In another big offensive game, the team fired on all cylinders.

Trautwein started the contest for the Mean Green, going five innings, striking out seven, walking one, and allowing two runs in her second start of the series. Isabella once again took the circle for UTEP, pitching 2.1 innings for the Miners, walking one, and allowing six runs on six hits.

The Mean Green started the scoring in the contest with a Walker RBI single. Freshman infielder Mikayla Smith and Callahan would add the second and third runs of the game with two RBI’s.

In the third inning, Evans hit a two-run home run to extend the Mean Green lead to five. The home run was Evan’s team-leading seventh of the season.

Christensen added a sixth run on an RBI single in the third. Christensen hit a career-high five RBI in the series.

UTEP junior Kasey Flores hit a two-run home run off of Trautwein in the bottom of the fifth inning. Flores’ home run was her seventh on the season.

The top of the sixth saw Wark hit her third home run in the series, cementing what would her best series of her young career. Wark finished the series with six RBI.

Wall came in to relieve Trautwein in the bottom of the sixth and finished the game.

Trautwein would be scored the winner of the contest, and earned her ninth win of the season.

“Four games in three days is really tough,” DeLong said following Sunday’s game. “Our pitchers threw well, overall good effort and good energy.”

Up Next: The Mean Green travels to Stephenville, Texas, to take on Tarleton State University (14-28, WAC 3-6) in a midweek doubleheader before heading back home to Lovelace Stadium this weekend to take on the University of Southern Mississippi ( 20-19, C-USA 2-6) in a four-game series.

Featured Image: Freshman infielder Maia Wark swings at an incoming ball during a game on Feb. 26, 2021. Image by Preston Rios