The bats for North Texas (16-4) scored 10 runs in their halves of the fifth, sixth and seventh innings against Abilene Christian (7-13) in an 11-3 contest. The Mean Green finished the weekend (3-2) in the No. 5 Oklahoma (14-4) hosted tournament.
“Today was a real easy day to be flat after two emotional games yesterday,” head coach Rodney DeLong said. “I was proud of our kids on how they came out and got it done.”
North Texas drew first blood on a sacrifice fly in the first inning off Tayla Evan’s bag plating in-home senior outfielder Katie Clark.
Freshman pitcher Ariel Thompson received the ball for North Texas going 2.2 innings, allowing one hit and striking out two.
Hope Traiutwein came into relief in the third inning with two outs to close out a scoreless inning.
Abilene Christian added two runs in the fourth inning to take a lead on a solo home run and scoring off a bases-loaded walk in the fourth off Trautwein to go-ahead 2-1.
After a leadoff single from Kenzie Young and a double from Clark, Tarah Hilton drive in the tying run with a sacrifice fly.
Evans would drive in her second run of the game with a single to left and after a walk to Hanna Rebar. Junior Kourtney Williams added two more runs for North Texas on a double down the left-field line.
North Texas later added a run in the sixth inning after a two-out single from Saleen Donohoe to drive in Young making it a 6-2 contest.
North Texas kept Abilene Christian off the scoreboard in the fifth and sixth with Trautwein on the circle.
The Mean Green offense put up five insurance runs in the seventh inning where Williams’ second RBI double of the game plated Evans home.
A sacrifice fly from Nicole Ochotnicki scored Rebar and advanced Williams to third. An RBI single by from Candain Callahan drove in Williams. Young then hit her second double to left-center, scoring Callahan. Amarys Miller-Godsey singles home Young to round out the scoring in the seventh inning.
Trautwein finished the seventh inning allowing run one to complete the game at 11-3. She earned ninth win of the year, moving to 9-1 in an appearance going 4.1 innings allowing three runs on seven hits and nine strikeouts.
Kourtney Williams and Tayla Evans led North Texas offensively while combining for five RBI’s in the win.
“We have good momentum going into Conference play,” DeLong added. “We have a few days off to recoup and get prepared for UTSA and we expect a good challenge down in San Antonio and we’ll be prepared.”
UP NEXT: North Texas will travel and play Texas-San Antonio (11-8) in their first matchup of Conference USA play over the weekend of March 6.
Featured Image: Junior pitcher Hope Trautwein and Mean Green teammates discuss a gameplan against Abilene Christian University on Feb. 15, 2020. Image by Zachary Thomas
Article Originally Published by on North Texas Daily
Source: North Texas Daily
