University of North Texas Athletics
Softball Wins Season Opener
2/9/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Las Cruces, NM (2/9/07) - The North Texas softball team scored four runs in the second inning to win its season opener against Colorado State, 6-3, at the Las Cruces Hilton Invitational. The Mean Green came up just short against New Mexico State, 7-6.
The Mean Green (1-1) is now 2-2 in season openers. Colorado State (2-1) loses its first game of the season, while New Mexico State extends its record to 2-1.
Colorado State outhit the Mean Green, 9-8, but left nine runners stranded on base. North Texas used timely hitting and three extra base hits to take the victory. The Mean Green scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning against the Aggies but came up one run short, 7-6.
Sophomore Ashley Lail (1-0) won her first game in the circle for the Mean Green. She pitched seven innings, allowing three runs off nine hits against Colorado State. Kristina Fowler (0-1) took the loss in the second game, giving up three runs in six innings of work.
Fowler knocked in the game’s winning run against Colorado State with a double in the fourth inning. Her extra-base hit put the Mean Green ahead, 4-2. Sophomore Angie Palacios started the inning with her first career hit, a single. She started in left field. Sophomore Kadie Platt tied the game with an RBI single. Platt was the only player with a multi-hit game. She tied a career high with three hits against Colorado State. Sophomore Sarah Jones tacked on an insurance run by singling Fowler home.
Susan Waters, a preseason All-Sun Belt honoree, hit her first home run of the season in the fourth inning with a solo shot to make it 6-2. The senior hit her second home run, a two-run shot, in the first inning of the second game. Waters’ home run against NMS gave the Mean Green a brief 2-1 lead. The Aggies responded with two runs in the second inning to go ahead, 3-2.
The Aggies added four runs in the top of the seventh inning. The Mean Green recorded only hit, its third of the game, in the bottom of the seventh. NT’s four runs was aided by three errors by the Aggies.
Kyleigh Callender, Rebecca Waters and Sierra Scott all made their first starts for the Mean Green against Colorado State. Callender knocked in NT’s first run of the season after drawing a bases loaded walk against Colorado State.
