University of North Texas Athletics
Softball Rounds Out Tourney Play With Win
2/15/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (2/15/09) The North Texas softball team rounded out play at the Corpus Christi Invitational with a 2-1 victory against Indiana State on Sunday afternoon. The Mean Green lost to Creighton, 4-3, in extra innings in the first game of the day.
The Mean Green finished the tournament with a 3-2 record. Both losses came at the hands of Creighton, who leads the series, 4-2. North Texas takes a 1-0 lead in the series against Indiana State.
“We played a great defensive game against Indiana State” said North Texas head coach TJ Hubbard. “We had two double plays and helped our pitchers out.”
Jennifer Smith (1-1) picked up her first win of the season with a one-run six-inning performance against Indiana State. She pitched six shutout innings before leaving the game in the seventh with two runners on. Kayla Lawson picked up her first career save, striking out two batters and forcing a groundout in the seventh. The junior pitched out a bases-loaded jam after walking her first batter to load the bases.
Freshman Lisa Johnson and sophomore Renae Bromley posted RBI singles against Indiana State, giving North Texas a 2-0 lead after four innings of play. Indiana State would make the game interesting in the seventh, but NT held on for the win.
“I was impressed with our composure against Creighton,” said Hubbard. “We were down 2-0 in the seventh but still were confident. I would have liked to win but I was not disappointed in how we played.”
Senior Kadie Platt tied the game against Creighton, 2-2 with a two-run homer in the top of the seventh. The home run was the sixth of Platt’s career and her first since her sophomore season. Johnson briefly gave North Texas a 3-2 lead with a sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth inning. Creighton tied the game in the bottom of the eighth and then won the game with an RBI single in the ninth.
Ashley Lail (1-1) took the loss in the Creighton game, pitching in relief of Lawson. Lail pitched 3.1 innings, allowing two unearned runs off three hits.
Creighton outhit the Mean Green, 9-4. Indiana State and North Texas each posted seven hits in the second game. Platt went 2-for-2 in the loss to Creighton, while Mallory Cantler went 2-for-2 against Indiana State.
“Overall, the weekend was definitely a success,” said Hubbard. “I was impressed with the pitching. They kept us in all the games. All three of our pitchers did well. I think we put ourselves in a position to win almost every game.”
Johnson led the Mean Green offense in the tournament with five hits and four RBI. Canter, Rebecca Waters and Mariza Martinez each posted four hits in the five games.
North Texas continues its road trip with a doubleheader against UTSA on Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 1 pm.
