North Texas Daily

North Texas softball finished its weekend Saturday with a 4-0 record in the annual North Texas Classic with wins against the University of the Incarnate Word 5-0 and Stephen F. Austin University 2-1.

Freshman pitcher Janie Worthington went the distance in a complete-game shutout with 17 strikeouts against the Cardinals in game one. Senior pitcher Gigi Wall earned her third win of the season in six innings of work.

Senior pitcher Hope Trautwein earned her 500th career strikeout in a save in game two.

“We were a little complacent today and it showed,” Head coach Rodney DeLong said. “It showed at the plate and that’s disappointing but at the same time we played good defense and pitched really well. Hats off to our pitchers, they carried us today and that’s why we won two ball games.”

Game one: North Texas 5, Incarnate Word 0

North Texas capped its Friday evening with a 9-0 run-rule victory over Incarnate Word (0-3, Southland 0-0) courtesy of freshman infielder Rayna Lewis hitting a grand slam and Wall throwing a complete game shutout.

Worthington received the nod to take the ball in game one during a foggy morning game.

The Mean Green offense struck first for four runs in the bottom of the first inning. Senior outfielder Tarah Hilton and junior infielder scored on a Cardinals error. Lewis later scored on an additional error by the Cardinals. Freshman infielder Maia Wark drove in freshman Kalei Christensen on an RBI single.

Through three innings pitched Worthington did not allow a baserunner. In the fourth inning she surrendered her first baserunner on a hit by pitch, striking out 11 of the 12 outs recorded.

North Texas added an insurance run on a solo home run by sophomore infielder Candain Callahan in the bottom of the sixth.

Worthington closed out the game in the seventh inning adding two strikeouts to her total of 17 on the game. She pitched a complete-game shutout striking out 17 allowing two hits, now sitting 2-0 on the season.

Wark and Callahan each went 1-3 with RBI’s.

Game Two: North Texas 2, Stephen F. Austin 1

North Texas’ first game of the weekend came on a 9-1 run-rule win over the Ladyjacks (1-7, Southland 0-0) with Trautwein earning her third win of the season.

Wall took the circle for the Mean Green in game two looking to expand the home stretch to five straight wins.

The North Texas bats reached the board in the bottom of the first inning as Wark came through on a 2 RBI single driving in Hilton and Lewis.

Through two innings Wall did not allow a baserunner and escaped trouble in the third inning getting senior Ladyjacks infielder Bailey Jackson to lineout with runners on base.

Junior Ladyjacks pitcher Kassidy Wilbur kept North Texas off the board throughout the third to sixth innings allowing one hit and one walk striking out eight Mean Green hitters.

Wall through six innings kept her shutout in tack with three outs remaining. The first two Ladyjack hitters reached base on a hit by pitch and a single, and Wall’s day was complete.

Trautwein came in for Wall to minimize damage and close out a win. Senior infielder Bryana Novegil hit an RBI single to break the shutout. Trautwein stranded two runners to record the final out via punchout, reaching 500 career strikeouts.

Wall earned her third win of the season going six innings, allowing five hits on one run, one walk and four strikeouts.

Wark led the offense with a 1-3 game and 2 RBI’s. Hilton had a team-high two hits in a 2-2 game.

Novegil and SFA senior outfielder Savannah Parker both had two-hit games leading the Ladyjacks offense.

“All three [pitchers] were awesome today,” DeLong said. “[Wall] had really good stuff and controlled the game from start to end their until the seventh, [Trautwein] then comes in and slams the door with pressure and runners in scoring position. [Worthington] had an unbelievable game, the ball was really moving and she commanded the entire game. It was great to see.”

Up Next: North Texas will participate in the Boerner Invitational between Thursday and Sunday, hosted in Arlington and have five scheduled games (Texas A&M Corpus Christi, Iowa State University, Missouri State University, Wichita State University and University of Texas at Arlington).

Featured Image: Senior pitcher Hope Trautwein prepares to throw the ball during a game on Feb. 26, 2021. Image by Preston Rios