North Texas Daily

North Texas softball finalized its two games Sunday in the Scrap Yard Sports Blizzard Challenge with an 8-0 mercy-rule win against Lamar University and a 5-1 loss to No. 7 University of Texas to end the weekend at 2-2. 

The Mean Green (3-3, 0-0 Conference USA) experienced déjà vu against its opponent via run-rule in game one after defeating the Cardinals Saturday evening 9-1. Senior pitcher Gigi Wall earned her first win on four shutout innings pitched including round-trippers from junior infielder Tayla Evans and freshman outfielder Molly Rainey. 

Game two North Texas fell to Texas as the Longhorns outhit the Mean Green and cashed in on extra-base hits with runners on base. 

“We took care of business this morning,” Head coach Rodney DeLong said. “It started off flat and I didn’t really like that, but we picked it up the second time we went through the lineup and did what we were supposed to do in that game. It was good to see GiGi get a win, I thought she threw well this weekend and it’s definitely something she’s going to build off of.”

Game One: North Texas 8, Lamar 0

Sunday morning opened up with North Texas taking on its previous opponent in Lamar (1-6, 0-0 Southland) after ending Saturday with a 9-1 win. Wall looked to earn her first win getting the start. 

The Mean Green drew first blood in the top half of the first as freshman infielder Rayna Lewis doubled home senior Tarah Hilton.

In the third inning North Texas broke for five runs. Rainey hit an RBI triple bringing in freshman outfielder Lexi Cobb, Rainey later scored on an error in the play. Following a Hilton walk, Evans blasted her first home run of the season on a two-run shot. Freshman first baseman Kailey Gamble rounded out the final run of the third on an RBI single plating home Lewis. 

Rainey went deep in the fourth inning on a two-run home run driving in freshman infielder Mikayla Smith to go up 8-0. 

Through her four shutout innings pitched Wall allowed three total baserunners via one hit, two walks and striking out three. Senior pitcher Ariel Thompson came in relief for Wall in the fifth inning keeping the Cardinals scoreless to close out a mercy-rule victory. 

Rainey led the offense at 2-3 with a triple, home run and 3 RBI’s. Lewis collected two hits and an RBI with Evans going 1-3 at the plate with two RBI’s. Junior outfielder Aleka Xayaseng recorded the Cardinal’s lone hit. 

Wall earned her first win of the year and leads the team with a 1.85 ERA through her three starts. Freshman Cardinals pitcher Breanna Reyna suffered the loss pitching three innings allowing eight runs on eight hits, three walks and three strikeouts. 

Game Two: No. 7 Texas 5, North Texas 1

Last season North Texas fell to Texas 3-2 in extra innings last February and looked for revenge against the Longhorns (2-0, Big 12 0-0) to close out the weekend. Senior pitcher Hope Trautwein received the nod to take the circle against the number seventh-ranked team in the country after starting the year 2-0 in her first two games. 

Texas brought in a run in the top half of the first inning on an RBI double by sophomore Longhorn infielder Colleen Sullivan driving in junior outfielder Lauren Burke. 

North Texas in their bottom half of the first had leadoff singles by Rainey and Hilton but came up empty-handed as freshman Longhorns pitcher Ryliegh White escaped a jam.  

The Longhorns added a run in the top of the second on an RBI double by junior catcher Taylor Ellsworth plating home junior outfielder Kaitlyn Washington. 

The Mean Green offense gained momentum in the bottom of the third inning when senior outfielder Tuesday DerMargosian singled and reached second base on an error. Rainey drove in DerMargosian on a sacrifice fly to cut the lead at 2-1 through three innings. 

Senior outfielder Shannon Rhodes immediately put the Longhorns up 3-1 with a leadoff home run in the fourth inning. 

North Texas looked to get on the board in the fourth inning after senior shortstop Candain Callahan singled, making it runners on first and second with two outs. Senior Longhorns pitcher Molly Jacobsen came in relief for White and kept North Texas scoreless in the fourth inning. 

Through five innings pitched Trautwein struck out five and allowed three runs to the Longhorns. 

Texas tacked on insurance runs in the sixth and seventh innings on an RBI single by freshman infielder Jordyn Whitaker and an RBI double by Rhodes. 

The Mean Green went down quietly in their final two innings as freshman infielder Maia Wark was the lone baserunner. 

Rhodes led Texas offensively with a 2-4 mark including a home run and double with 2 RBI’s. Sullivan had a 2-4 game with an RBI. 

Rainey led the offense at 1-1 with the only RBI and Hilton led North Texas with two hits in a 2-3 game. 

Trautwein suffered her first loss of the season moving to 2-1 going 5.2 innings, striking out five, allowing four runs on 10 hits. Freshman pitcher Janie Wentworth came in relief for 1.1 innings allowing one run on two hits and striking out two. 

Jacobsen earned the win for the Longhorns going 3.2 innings allowing two hits, one walk and a strikeout.  

Up Next: North Texas takes on Abilene Christian University Tuesday at home as the Mean Green plays their home opener and prepares for hosting the North Texas Classic next weekend. 

Featured Image: Senior catcher Tarah Hilton catches the ball for a strike against Abilene Christian University on Feb. 15, 2020. Image by Zachary Thomas