University of North Texas Athletics
North Texas Looks To Bounce Back Against Abilene Christian
4/18/2018 12:00:00 AM | Softball
DENTON - The North Texas softball team begins a five-game homestand as it hosts Abilene Christian at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Lovelace Stadium. The Mean Green look to extend their four-game win streak against non-conference opponents.
UNT (22-20, 8-7 C-USA) is 2-1 all-time against the Wildcats (17-20, 10-8 Southland) but lost the last meeting 6-2 last season in Abilene. Catcher Nicole Ochotnicki was one of two Mean Green batters to collect two hits in the loss, including her sixth double of the season.
North Texas is coming off a three-game sweep on the road at the hands of UTEP this past weekend. Errors marred the Mean Green, whose nine mishaps in the series led to nine unearned runs.
With a home run in each of the three games, UNT has 49 this year, which is tied for the second most in a season in program history. Rhylie Makawe and Ochotnicki each set career-highs with three-run home runs in games two and three, respectively.
ACU is coming off a 4-0 homestand that included an 11-10 win over Texas Tech and a sweep of Incarnate Word, which vaulted it over Lamar into seventh in the Southland Conference standings.
The Wildcats' pitching staff has allowed the fewest walks (73) in the Southland and ranks fourth in strikeouts (170). Ace Hannah Null accounts for 153 of the team's 170 strikeouts and has a 0.96 WHIP over 166 1/3 innings.
