University of North Texas
Missouri
Mean Green Defeats No. 11 Missouri
3/30/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
DENTON, Texas (3/30/11) - The Mean Green softball team snapped Missouri's 24-game winning streak with a 9-2 victory on Wednesday night at Lovelace Stadium. The No. 11 Tigers defeated North Texas, 4-1, in the first game of the doubleheader.
The Mean Green improves to 15-18 overall and hands Missouri (27-4) its fourth loss of the season. North Texas and Missouri are tied in the series, 1-1.
Behind four home runs, the North Texas offense exploded for nine runs in the second game of the doubleheader. Missouri jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, but North Texas responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning and kept on adding to the lead the rest of the game.
Brittany Simmons picked up her eighth win of the season. She allowed two runs off eight hits in seven innings of work. After allowing two early runs, she held the 11th-ranked team scoreless for six straight innings.
The Mean Green handed Kristin Nottelmann her first loss of the season. She gave up nine runs off seven hits and is now 11-1 in 2011.
Megan Rupp led off the second game with her first triple of the season. Mallory Cantler brought her home with a sacrifice fly, scoring the Mean Green's first run. After a Caitlin Grimes single, Mariza Martinez hit her second home run of the day to put North Texas ahead, 3-1. She posted the Mean Green's only run in the opening loss.
Martinez led off the fourth inning with a walk. After Courtney Bradshaw advanced her to second with a sacrifice bunt, Lisa Johnson hit the Mean Green's second home run. It was Johnson's fifth home run of the season. Johnson also drew a walk in the game, setting the career walk record at North Texas. She surpasses Susan Waters with 62 career walks.
Cantler hit her team-leading sixth home run in the fifth inning, and Brooke Foster sealed the win with a three-run shot in the sixth inning. It was the freshman's first career home run.
Ashley Kirk (6-9) picked up the loss in the first game. She allowed three earned runs off six hits in seven innings of work. She struck out six batters.
Chelsea Thomas held the Mean Green to just one run off five hits. She struck out 11 Mean Green batters.
North Texas returns to action on Saturday, April 2 when the Mean Green faces to WKU on the road.
