TROY, Ala. (5/9/08) It took 13 innings, but the North Texas softball team finally defeated Troy, 4-2, in day three action of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament on Friday afternoon at the Troy Softball Complex.
The Mean Green improves to 27-32 overall and beats the Trojans for the first time in five tries this season. North Texas improves to 3-2 in third-round games and will play Louisiana at Monroe at 5 pm today. ULM is 2-0 in the conference tournament.
After scoring runs in each of the first two innings, North Texas would not reach home again until the 13th inning. Katya Muller and Mariza Martinez started the 13th with back-to-back singles. Sarah Jones knocked Muller home with an infield grounder. Mallory Cantler brought in the second run with a sacrifice fly to left field.
Kristina Fowler (10-10) picked up the win after pitching a career-high 11.2 scoreless innings in relief. She struck out a season-high nine batters and allowed just eight hits. One of Troy’s best chances came in the sixth inning when the Trojans loaded the bases with no outs. Fowler pitched out of the jam, striking out a batter and then forcing a groundout and a pop fly.
North Texas took an early 1-0 in the first inning off a passed ball. The Mean Green loaded the bases off two bunt singles and a hit by pitch.
Troy quickly tied the game with an RBI single in the bottom of the first. The Mean Green walked the first batter who scored on the single to the out field.
Courtney Bradshaw gave the lead back to the Mean Green with a solo home run to left field. She took the first pitch she saw when she led off the second inning. The long ball was her sixth of the season, tying for second on the team. Bradshaw and Martinez led the Mean Green with two hits apiece in the game.
Troy tied the game for a second time with another RBI single in the second inning. The Trojans outhit the Mean Green, 10-7, but left 14 baserunners stranded.
The 13-inning game that lasted just shy of four hours is a school record for longest game played.
North Texas will face ULM next, who is playing in its first Sun Belt Conference tournament. The Mean Green took two out of three against ULM during the regular season. NT would need to defeat the Warhawks twice to advance to the championship game on Saturday at 3 pm.
