North Texas Daily

Torie Mosley / Intern Writer

The Mean Green softball team is back in the win-column today, after a splitting a home doubleheader with the University of Texas – San Antonio. North Texas lost game one 5-3 before snapping a nine-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory in game two.

Game one saw North Texas (15-23, 7-9) blow a late lead. The team took a 3-2 lead into the top of the seventh inning, but gave up three runs to UTSA in that final inning. Freshman pitcher Monique Garcia pitched 6 2/3 innings and had seven strikeouts but allowed all five runs.

Sophomore catcher Shelbie Smith led the way for the Mean Green offensively, batting in all three runs on a three-run home run in the bottom of the third inning. Senior outfielder Kat Strunk and senior infielder Dani Hoff connected on the other two Mean Green hits of the game.

“I feel really good about my swing right now,” Smith said. “I feel like I’m making good contact and seeing it really well.”

Sophomore pitcher Stacey Underwood struck out five batters in five innings pitched for North Texas. Underwood gave up two runs and eight hits on 89 pitches. The right-hander said she felt better than usual on the mound against UTSA’s batters.

“I’ve been practicing on my velocity in the bullpen the last few days,” Underwood said. “I’ve been struggling lately so it was like coming out of my own slump.”

Head coach Tracey Kee said ending the losing streak was something the team needed to get off its back.

“You always got to feel good about [ending the losing streak]” Kee said. “For us it was just getting [the team] to believe in their skill set and needing to want it more than the other team to win.”

Kee said finishing the series with a win tomorrow against the Road Runners is the No. 1 priority for the Mean Green.

“We just got to keep this rolling,” she said. “We understand the importance of taking the series and that’s the only game we’re looking at at this point.”

The final game of the series with UTSA will be tomorrow at 10 a.m.