UNT Softball Rallies For A Draw
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DENTON, Texas (4/1/12) – Ashley McCarroll hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning to cap a third straight comeback for the North Texas softball team and tie the game against WKU, 6-6, on Sunday afternoon at Lovelace Stadium.
The third game between the Mean Green and Lady Toppers was called after seven innings of play due to a determined drop-dead time of 2.5 hours. North Texas won its second series of the season, defeating WKU twice in the three-game series. The tie is the first in Mean Green history.
North Texas is now 15-17-1 and 6-5-1 in Sun Belt play, while WKU stands at 21-14-1 and 4-4-1 in the conference.
The Mean Green clawed back from deficits of 4-0 and 5-1. Down 6-4 in the seventh inning, Caitlin Grimes led off with a walk. McCarroll hit her seventh home run of the season and second of the series to end the game with a tie.
North Texas scored nine of its 19 runs this weekend in the seventh inning. The Mean Green won its first two games of the series on walk-off hits in the seventh innings.
For the first time this weekend, WKU took the early lead, scoring four runs in the first inning. Ciara Garcia led off the
game by reaching base on a Mean Green error and then stole home for the first run. Amanda Thomas hit a two-run homer to add to the lead, and Preslie Cruce knocked in the fourth run with an RBI single.
The Mean Green began to chip away at the lead with a run in the bottom of the first. Maddelyn Fraley knocked in one of her two runs with an RBI single. The senior first baseman brought home a second run in the third inning with another single to right field. Lesley Hirsch walked in a run, and Fraley scored on a passed ball to cut the lead to one, 5-4.
WKU scored one run in the top of the seventh off a third Mean Green error. After going 4-for-6 with three RBI in the doubleheader yesterday, Grimes drew her second walk of the day to start off the bottom of the seventh. McCarroll hit the Mean Green’s fourth home run of the series to tie the game.
Lauren Poole started the game for the Mean Green and was relieved by Brittany Simmons. The junior pitched 6.1 innings and allowed one earned run off six hits.
North Texas continues Sun Belt play on Friday, April 6 when it faces FAU in doubleheader action at 4 p.m. at Lovelace Stadium.
