MGSB Clinches Top-Seed in C-USA Tournament

RUSTON, La. – For the second time in three years, North Texas (35-10, 16-2 C-USA) will head to the Conference USA Tournament as the No. 1 overall seed and with at least a share of the regular season championship in hand. The Mean Green swept Friday's doubleheader on the road over Louisiana Tech (22-27, 10-8 C-USA) , winning game one 4-1 before winning game two 5-4 in 10 innings.

One win in Saturday's doubleheader will give North Texas their first ever outright conference championship in softball, the first pitch of game number one is set for 3 p.m.

"We hit it pretty decent today and we have to continue that tomorrow and bring some energy," head coach Rodney DeLong said. "We don't want to share this thing, we want it by ourselves. We know what's at stake and we're gonna come out and play hard."

North Texas now locks themselves into the top spot out of the Western Division, giving them a bye into the double-elimination quarterfinals of next week's Conference USA Championship in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Game 1 – UNT 4, La Tech 1

It was all Hope Trautwein in game one of the series as the senior took a no-hitter all the way to the last strike of the game. Trautwein finished off her eighth complete game of the season by allowing just one run on two hits, issued three walks and struck out 16 Lady Techster hitters.

The performance earned the Pflugerville native a pair of career milestones, as the win tied her with Ashley Kirk for the program record of 60 career wins and the strikeouts took her to 217 on the season which bested Kirk's record of 214 back in 2014.

Offensive milestones were also achieved as both Tuesday DerMargosian and Tayla Evans notched career hit number 100 in game one. DerMargosian's came on an infield single to lead off the game and Evans' came on a one-out single in the seventh.

After both teams traded scoreless innings through the first three, North Texas would open the game up with a four-spot in the fourth. Kalei Christensen reached on a La Tech error to lead it off before a single from Kailey Gamble and another La Tech error allowed Christensen to score from first.

Back-to-back quick outs would give way to a walk to Miranda Holguin and an RBI single from Callahan that scored Gamble. DerMargosian would then double to left center to plate both Holguin and Callahan to push the lead to 4-0.

La Tech would get their leadoff batter on base once during the entire contest and it came in the sixth inning after a North Texas error. That runner would get to third base with two outs but Trautwein would shut the Lady Techsters down to keep the shutout alive.

A two-out double and single on back-to-back batters would end the no-hit bid and shutout before an easy groundout clinched the series-opening win for the Mean Green.

Game 2 – UNT 5, La Tech 4 (10 Inn.)
The nightcap of the doubleheader would prove to be the longest game of the season for North Texas and just second extra-inning affair of the year, all in route to clinching their second title in three years. Janie Worthington would pick up her eighth win of the season with 3.0 innings of relief, allowing no hits, walking one batter and striking out four.

GiGi Wall earned the start throwing 5.1 innings, allowing four runs on five hits with just one run being earned, walking none and striking out seven. Wall made history for her career in the first inning as she notched a pair of strikeouts which gave her 600 in her collegiate career.

North Texas would strike first in the game on a La Tech error in the second that gave way to an RBI single from Callahan to make it a 2-0 game. An RBI single in the bottom half of the inning would cut the lead it half and the teams would stay in that position until the fifth inning.

Evan's came through for North Texas in the sixth inning with a two-run double with two outs to put the Mean Green back ahead 4-1. The Lady Techsters would cut the lead in half again with a run in the bottom half of the frame before plating a pair of runs off of an RBI single followed by a pair of wild pitches to tie the game.

La Tech would threaten for a walk-off win big time in the seventh inning as they loaded the bases with just one out against Trautwein, but a strikeout and flyout would end the threat and allow North Texas' dugout to exhale as the game went to extra innings.

Enter Worthington, who was masterful in her three innings of work with every one being an extra frame. La Tech did not get their first baserunner off of the freshman until a two-out walk in the 10^th inning as she did her part in the game to perfection.

North Texas would take the lead in the 10^th in an inning that started with Evans getting to second base on a dropped pop-up behind second base. After back-to-back outs, Ashlyn Walker shot an RBI single to left to put the Mean Green back ahead for good.

Worthington would make quick work of La Tech in the bottom half of the inning and the Mean Green would end the nearly three-and-a-half hour long affair with a charge onto the field and a mob at the circle, celebrating another title.

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Team Stats

Tuesday DerMargosian

Candain Callahan

Tayla Evans

Kailey Gamble

Players Mentioned

Kalei Christensen

Tuesday DerMargosian

Tayla Evans

Kailey Gamble

Miranda Holguin

Hope Trautwein

Ashlyn Walker

GiGi Wall

Janie Worthington

Players Mentioned

Kalei Christensen

Tuesday DerMargosian

Tayla Evans

Kailey Gamble

Miranda Holguin

Hope Trautwein

Ashlyn Walker

GiGi Wall

Janie Worthington

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