North Texas Daily

Following a 1-0 shutout loss to McNeese State University last weekend, softball’s offense increased production in Friday night’s two wins at the Tracy Beard College Classic with a combined 16 runs.

Redshirt sophomore outfielder Molly Rainey went 3-for-6 on the night with a walkoff base hit in the night cap. Junior left-handed pitcher Ashley Peters led the pitching staff with two wins on the night, improving her record on the season to 3-1.

“We came out and played well in game one and played good defense,” head coach Rodney DeLong said.

Game 2: Colorado State 7, North Texas 8

North Texas picked up its second win of the tournament versus Colorado State University as Peters picked up her second win of the day.

Sophomore right-handed pitcher Jaycee Cook started the game for the Mean Green, going 3.1 innings, striking out two batters and earning two runs. Junior right-handed pitcher Julia Cabral started for the Rams, pitching 4.2 innings — giving up six runs, walking four and striking out three.

The Mean Green got on the board first, with a Rainey run-scoring ground out that scored sophomore outfielder Kalei Christensen from third. North Texas extended its lead by a run with a sacrifice fly by freshman shortstop Cierra Simon in the bottom of the second.

Sophomore second baseman Mikayla Smith furthered the Mean Green advantage in the bottom of the third with an RBI groundout. With a 3-0 lead, Cook gave up two runs on a junior infielder Danielle Serna home run, followed by an RBI single by freshman catcher Brooke Bohlender.

Sophomore left-handed pitcher Janie Worthington relieved Cook with one out in the fourth inning, getting out of the frame without allowing further runs to be scored. Worthington then gave up an RBI double to tie the game in the fifth, which was her last action of the game as freshman left-handed pitcher Skylar Savage entered the game to relieve.

Savage gave up a home run to sophomore outfielder Ashley York to give the Rams a 6-3 lead before Peters entered in a cleanup role. A home run by sophomore first baseman Kailey Gamble and two-run homer by freshman infielder Rylan Dooner tied the game at six. An error later in the inning gave the Mean Green a 7-6 lead.

The Rams scored on a junior catcher Peyton Allen double in the top of the sixth inning, tying the game. In a single extra inning, the contest ended in the bottom of the eighth on a game-winning Rainey single to right.

Peters came away with her third win of the season as North Texas improved to 2-0 in the tournament.

Game 1: Montana 0, North Texas 8

The Mean Green started the day off with an 8-0 run rule victory over the University of Montana. Peters picked up her second win of the season, going four innings and striking out four.

Rainey started the scoring for North Texas in the bottom of the first with a single that scored senior third baseman Tayla Evans. Smith then cleared the bases with a two-run double to right center.

Working with a three run lead, Peters held the Grizzlies to one hit through the second and third innings. In the bottom of the third, sophomore first baseman Kailey Gamble hit her third home run of the season to extend the Mean Green’s lead to 4-0.

North Texas then extended its lead in the fourth inning, with freshman infielder Rylan Dooner’s first home run of her career, followed by a Simon two-run triple. Christensen singled Simon in to make it a 7-0 game.

Savage relieved Peters in the top of the fifth, pitching a scoreless inning. Smith ended the game by run rule with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth.

Softball plays two more games at the Tracy Beard College Classic on Saturday as the Mean Green attempt to win four in a row before heading home for the first time for the North Texas Invitational.

“I’m proud of our kids for how we fought back,” DeLong said. “After falling down late, we were able to come back and win that game [which] says a lot about our team and a lot about our kids. It’s good for us to get challenged and it ended with good results.

Image source Mean Green Sports