University of North Texas
Troy
Kirk And Poole No-Hit Troy Trojans
4/30/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
DENTON, Texas (4/30/11) - North Texas pitchers Ashley Kirk and Lauren Poole combined to no-hit the Troy Trojans in a 9-1 five-inning run-rule victory on Saturday afternoon at Lovelace Stadium. The Mean Green lost the first game of the doubleheader, 8-2.
The Mean Green improves to 21-29 and 7-16 in the conference, while Troy falls to 29-24 and 10-11 in the Sun Belt. The third and deciding game will be played on Sunday at 12 p.m.
With her four strikeouts, Kirk set the single-season strikeout record at North Texas in the win against Troy. The redshirt freshman has recorded 147 strikeouts in 2011, surpassing Kristina Fowler who struck out 145 batters in 2006.
Kirk picked up her 10th win of the season, pitching three hitless innings. She gave up one unearned run in the first inning off two walks and two Mean Green errors. Lauren Poole finished the no-hit performance for Kirk, coming in to pitch two hitless innings.
Down 1-0 in the first inning of the second game, North Texas responded with five runs in the bottom of the inning. With the bases loaded, Maddelyn Fraley cleared the bases with a double down the right-field line. Caitlin Grimes brought Fraley home from third with a groundout, and Monica Hirsch scored the fifth run off an error.
Lisa Johnson and Caitlin Grimes both drew bases-loaded walks to score two more Mean Green runs in the second inning. Johnson drew two walks in the game, and Grimes knocked in two runs.
Mallory Cantler sealed the run-rule victory with a two-run homer down the right field line in the third inning. The home run bounced off the foul pole in right field. It was her team-leading ninth of the season. Megan Rupp scored on the play after reaching base with a triple.
Cantler went 3-for-3 in the game with three runs scored. The Mean Green posted seven hits in the game.
Ashlyn Williams struck out 10 Mean Green batters in the 8-2 Troy victory in the first game. She held the Mean Green to three hits. Brittany Simmons picked up the loss in the first game. She allowed four earned runs off nine hits.
