University of North Texas Athletics
Bradshaw And Johnson Homer In Mean Green Sweep of WKU
4/24/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
DENTON, Texas (4/24/10) - Courtney Bradshaw knocked in a career-high four runs, and Ashley Lail picked up her 12th win of the season to lead the North Texas softball team to a doubleheader sweep against WKU on Saturday afternoon at Lovelace Stadium. The Mean Green won in six innings in a 10-2 run-rule victory, and then took the nightcap, 5-1.
The Mean Green improves to 25-14 and 11-6 in the Sun Belt, while WKU falls to 26-21 and 5-12 in the conference. North Texas has guaranteed itself a winning season, a first in school history. The Mean Green still trails the series against the Hilltoppers, 15-13.
Bradshaw went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and four RBI in the opening win. The three hits ties a career high, while the four RBI is a personal best. The junior's fifth home run of the season in the sixth inning ended the game on a run-rule. The North Texas defense was perfect in game one, recording four double plays.
Lisa Johnson gave North Texas an early 1-0 lead in the second game with her 10th home run of the season. The sophomore becomes only the third Mean Green player in school history to post 10 home runs in a single season.
Kayla Lawson picked up her sixth win of the season in the opening game, allowing two runs off six hits in six innings of work. Ashley Lail improved to 12-5 with her complete game performance in the second game of the doubleheader. She allowed one run off nine hits in seven innings, while striking out five. The 12 wins is a personal best. The senior posted 11-win seasons in 2007 and 2009.
The Mean Green used a six-run third inning to break open game one. After North Texas took a 1-0 lead in the second inning off a WKU error, the Hilltoppers responded by tying the game in the top of the third with a solo home run.
Johnson led off the third with her first career triple. Mallory Cantler quickly brought her home with an RBI single. Monica Hirsch and Bradshaw both plated runs with doubles in the inning, and Mariza Martinez brought home two runners with a single. Johnson came up for the second time in the inning and capped the scoring with an RBI single. She was tagged out trying to stretch the single into a double.
The North Texas defense continued its stellar play in game two. In the first inning, the Mean Green prevented an early score when a ball hit to the outfield was relayed to Lesley Hirsch who threw out the runner racing home.
With a 1-0 lead, North Texas led off the third with three straight hits, loading the bases for Cantler. The junior plated two runs with a single to put the Mean Green ahead, 3-0. Martinez and Caitlin Grimes posted RBI singles in the sixth to seal the win.
Both teams posted nine hits in the nightcap, but the Hilltoppers left eight runners stranded on base.
North Texas looks to sweep its first conference series this season on Sunday, April 25 when it faces WKU at 12 p.m. in the third game of the season.
