Seven total home runs came off the North Texas (15-4) bats in Saturday’s two games where they split wins against No. 5 Oklahoma.
Game one for North Texas resulted in a come from behind win where Oklahoma took a 2-0 lead in the first inning, while pitchers Ariel Thompson, Bailey Tindell and Hope Trautwein kept the Sooner bats to one run the next six innings. The 4-3 win is the second win of the season against a top-10 opponent.
North Texas began game two against Oklahoma scoring four runs in the top of the first inning. The Sooners later responded scoring 15 runs between innings three through six to avenge their loss earlier in the afternoon.
“I’m really proud of our effort,” head coach Rodney DeLong said. “It’s really good to see our kids fight all day and really not lay down. That’s the whole key for us, if we’re locked in and playing hard then we’re tough to beat.”
Game One: North Texas 4, Oklahoma 3
North Texas came into the first matchup against Oklahoma with off a 5-2 victory over Abilene Christian Friday afternoon. Freshman pitcher Ariel Thompson got the start against the Sooners.
In the bottom of the first inning, the Sooners reached the board on an error and an RBI single by Lynnsie Elam to go up 2-0.
The Mean Green in their top half of the second inning scored on a two-out RBI single by senior outfielder Camille Grahmann plating home Kourtney Williams.
Senior outfielder Hanna Rebar put North Texas on top in the top of the third inning on a two-run home run making it a 3-2 contest.
Thompson went three innings allowing two runs, six hits and three walks. Tindell came in relief for Thompson in the bottom of the fourth inning where Oklahoma tied up the game on an RBI single by Grace Green, who later was caught stealing by senior catcher Nicole Ochotnicki to end the inning.
North Texas reclaimed the lead in the top of the sixth inning through a sacrifice fly by outfielder Kenzie Young, driving in Tayla Evans to go up 4-3.
Junior pitcher Hope Trautwein came in for the Mean Green in the sixth inning with a one-run lead. She earned her second save of the season pitching two innings, allowing one walk and striking out three.
Tindell earned her fifth win of the season advancing to 5-2 on the season while going two innings allowing one hit and one unearned run.
Oklahoma’s Shalie Shannon suffered her third loss of the season moving to 3-3.
Offensively for North Texas, Rebar led North Texas on a 1/2 performance with a home run and two RBI’s. Young and Grhamann each had a hit with an RBI in the win.
Game Two: Oklahoma 15, North Texas 8
The Mean Green carried the offensive momentum into the first inning of game two scoring four runs in the top of the first. Three North Texas home runs off the bats off Saleen Donohoe, Rebar and Williams gave the Mean Green their biggest lead of the day against the Sooners.
Through the first two innings of the start, Trautwein kept the Sooners scoreless through two full frames. The Sooners mustered three runs in their half of the third inning on a two-run home run by Jocelyn Alo and solo home run to Kinzie Hansen to push within one in a 4-3 score.
Ochotnicki began the top of the fourth inning with her first home run of the season to make it a 5-3 game.
Tindell took over for Trautwein to begin the top of the fourth inning. Six runs came across the plate for Oklahoma in the following bottom half of the inning, coming from eight hits to give the Sooners a 9-5 lead. Thomspon was pulled in the inning for Thompson to appear in relief.
Tindell pitched one out in the inning allowing four runs on four hits.
The Mean Green offense scored one run in the top of the fifth inning from Rebar smacking her second home run of the game cut the lead at 9-6.
In the bottom of the fifth, Hansen hit her second home run in the game on a grand slam to push the Sooner lead at 13-5.
North Texas in the top of the sixth added two runs on senior outfielder Katie Clark’s first home run on a two-run shot driving in Young.
Trautwein reentered in the sixth inning for Thompson, after Thompson went 1.2 innings allowing seven runs, seven hits, and one walk. Oklahoma put up two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly and an RBI single by Alo to score the final runs of the game at 15-8.
Two runners reached on base for North Texas in their last offensive opportunity in the top of the seventh, where the Mean Green stranded two runners on a ground ball double play and pop-out to second base in a 15-8 finale.
Oklahoma in their fifteen runs scored had 17 hits and three home runs.
North Texas broke a school record in game two for most home runs in a single game with six. Two from Rebar, and one from Clark, Donohoe, Ochotnicki and Williams. Rebar on the day had three home runs
In the loss, Tindell fell to 5-3 on the season.
UP NEXT: North Texas will continue Sunday’s play in the Courtyard Marriott Tournament at 9:30 a.m. with an opponent to be determined.
Featured Image: Sophomore batter Tayla Evans successfully hits the ball during the UNT vs. UTM softball game on Feb. 16, 2020. Image by Ryan Cantrell
Article Originally Published by on North Texas Daily
Source: North Texas Daily