University of North Texas Athletics
Middle Tennessee Avoids Sweep With 4-2 Win
4/11/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
(4/11/10) - Middle Tennessee avoided the conference series sweep with a 4-2 win against the North Texas softball team on Sunday afternoon at Lovelace Stadium.
The Mean Green won the conference series with a 2-1 record and improves its overall record to 19-13. North Texas is now 7-5 in the conference and trails MT in the all-time series, 11-13. Middle Tennessee improves to 14-19 and 5-10 in the Sun Belt.
The Blue Raiders used a solid pitching performance from Lindsey Vander Lugt and two home runs to stay ahead of the Mean Green in game three. MT snapped the Mean Green's four-game winning streak, its second longest of the season.
Vander Lugt won the pitching duel against Kayla Lawson in game three after the Mean Green senior bested her in the opening game. Both pitched complete games. Vander Lugt allowed just two runs off eight hits, while Lawson allowed four runs off nine hits. Lawson went 1-1 in the series and moved her overall record to 3-2. Vander Lugt improved to 13-12 in the circle. Lawson struck out a season-high seven batters.
Kaycee Popham gave Middle Tennessee an early 2-0 lead with a two-run homer in the first inning. In the last five games, North Texas has taken early leads in three of those matches.
North Texas cut into the lead in the second inning with an unearned run. Rebecca Waters started the inning with a single and then later scored on a fielding error off Monica Hirsch's bunt single. Waters went 2-for-3 in the game with the Mean Green's only run batted in.
Kelsey Dortch added to the score with a solo home run in the third to keep the Blue Raiders ahead, 3-1.
Two doubles in the sixth put another run on the scoreboard for the Mean Green. Mallory Cantler led off the inning with a double, and Rebecca Waters plated a run with a double of her own. Cantler is third on the team with seven doubles.
Middle Tennessee added an insurance run in the seventh, and North Texas had an opportunity in the seventh but left two runners stranded on base.
North Texas returns to action on Wednesday, April 14, 2010 when it faces Texas State in a charity game, Play For Kay. The doubleheader is set for 2 p.m.
