University of North Texas
Florida Atlantic
Kirk Strikes Out Eight In Mean Green Win
4/6/2012 12:00:00 AM | Softball
DENTON, Texas (4/6/12) - Ashley Kirk struck out eight batters, and Brooke Foster posted a two-RBI triple in the fifth inning to seal an 8-0 victory for the North Texas softball team against Florida Atlantic on Friday afternoon at Lovelace Stadium. Jackie Miller tied the opening game in the bottom of the seventh inning with a three-run homer, but the Owls scored two runs in the eighth to take the first half of the doubleheader, 5-3.
The Mean Green improves to 16-18-1 and 7-6-1 in the Sun Belt, while the Owls stand at 12-26 overall and 2-7 in the conference. The third and deciding game in the conference series will start at noon on Saturday.
Kirk (4-8) had one of her top performances of the season against FAU. She pitched five innings and allowed just two hits while striking out eight batters. She did not allow a single walk. The Mean Green scored five runs in the fifth inning to end the game on the run-rule.
Maddelyn Fraley and Caitlin Grimes led off the fifth inning with back-to-back singles. With two outs, Jordan Terry knocked in the first run of the inning with a single. Lesley Hirsch and Megan Rupp both followed with RBI singles to move the Mean Green ahead, 6-0. With runners on first and second, Foster knocked a pitch to right center field to score both runs and slide into third safely with her first triple of the season.
Foster scored the first run of the game after reaching base with a bunt single in the first inning. Fraley knocked her home from third with a single to right field to give North Texas an early 1-0 lead. The Mean Green added to the lead in the third with a bunt by Lisa Johnson that scored a run and an RBI double by Ashley McCarroll.
The Mean Green outhit the Owls in the second game, 13-2. Five players had multi-hit games. Rupp went 3-for-4 with one run scored and an RBI.
The story was reversed in the first game. FAU outhit the Mean Green, 11-2, in the opening game. Taylor Fawbush held North Texas to just two hits. The Mean Green did not score a run until the seventh inning when Miller tied the game, 3-3.
The Owls led off the eighth with back-to-back singles. A sacrifice bunt advanced the runners to second and third, and a squeeze play scored the game-winning run. Whitley Herb stole home to add the insurance run.
Brittany Simmons (9-7) took the loss. She allowed five runs off 11 hits in eight innings of work. The junior struck out a career-high eight batters. She pitched five scoreless innings before running into trouble in the sixth. She gave up two home runs that put FAU ahead by three.
