University of North Texas
Middle Tennessee State
Hoff Hits Walk-Off Grand Slam In 8-4 Win
3/17/2012 12:00:00 AM | Softball
DENTON, Texas (3/17/12) - Danielle Hoff hit a walk-off grand slam to give the North Texas softball team a come-from-back 8-4 victory against Middle Tennessee on Saturday afternoon at Lovelace Stadium. The Mean Green run-ruled the Blue Raiders, 10-2, in the first game of the day.
The Mean Green (10-14, 2-3) won both games of the doubleheader against Middle Tennessee (7-12, 0-2) and will look for the sweep in the third game of the series on Sunday at noon. North Texas won its first two conference games of the season.
North Texas had a big offensive day, posting 24 hits in the combined two games. Five different players hit home runs for the Mean Green in the two games, including Hoff's grand slam in the seventh inning of the second game. A seven-run second inning propelled the Mean Green to a five-inning run-rule victory in the opening win.
Brittany Simmons (7-5) won both games of the doubleheader. She pitched four innings in the first game, allowing one earned run off six hits. She relieved Ashley Kirk in the seventh inning, and forced a groundout to end the inning. The junior was the pitcher of record when North Texas won the game.
Middle Tennessee took a 2-0 lead in the first inning of the second game off three hits and a Mean Green error. Lisa Johnson cut into the lead in the third inning with a solo home run down the left field line, and NT took the lead in the fifth with a two-run long ball by Caitlin Grimes. It was Johnson's third home run of the season and Grimes' sixth.
A two-out triple by Nina Davenport in the top of the seventh started the Blue Raiders rally. She scored off a single by Nina Dever to put MT ahead, 3-2.
Maddelyn Fraley started the Mean Green comeback with a two-out single in the bottom of the seventh. It was a deep single that hit off the outfield wall. Grimes followed with a single up the middle, and Megan Rupp brought the tying run home with an RBI single. Ashley McCarroll walked to load the bases, and Hoff drew a 2-2 count before hitting her first career home run and grand slam to win the game.
It was the Mean Green's second grand slam of the season and first walk-off grand slam.
A big second inning gave North Texas an 8-0 lead in the opening win. With the bases loaded, Brooke Foster knocked in the first run of the inning. Johnson followed with a sacrifice fly that plated a second run, and Fraley cleared the bases with a three-run homer. It was her sixth home run of the season, which ties for the team lead.
Foster hit a two-run homer in the third to put North Texas ahead, 10-0. Middle Tennessee scored two runs in the fourth but North Texas held the Blue Raiders scoreless in the fifth to seal the run-rule victory.
Fraley led the offense with five hits in the combined two games.
