Softball opens season with two wins at Lake Charles

Friday, February 11

Lake Charles, LA

1:00 PM

University of North Texas

1-0

Tulsa

0-1

North Texas

Tulsa

2/11/2022 3:48:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

After a slow start against Tulsa, the Mean Green bats came alive in the sixth inning and scored 11 runs and 12 hits through the next eight innings.

Lake Charles, La.— The North Texas softball team opened the 2022 season with two wins on Friday. The Mean Green rallied from a 3-1 deficit against Tulsa in the first game of the day and never trailed against Texas Southern.

After a slow start against Tulsa, the Mean Green bats came alive in the sixth inning and scored 11 runs and 12 hits through the next eight innings of the day.

QUOTING HEAD COACH RODNEY DELONG
"I'm glad to get the opener out of the way. We didn't play great today, but we got the win. I will say (Kalei) Christensen played great today. I can't leave that out after the performances she put on today. Moving on to tomorrow, we're looking forward to playing a good Louisiana team and continuing to get better every day."

Game 1

The Mean Green defeated Tulsa, 6-3, in game one of The Evangeline Bank and Trust Invitational behind a pair of home runs by Kalei Christensen.

Both teams started off strong in a pitching duel before North Texas took a 1-0 advantage in the top of the fourth off Christensen's first home run. Tulsa would respond in the bottom of the fourth to tie it, before taking a two-run lead in the bottom of the fifth.

Christensen (2-for-4 with two homers and four RBI) then hit her second home run of the day to put the Mean Green ahead 4-3 an inning later. Kailey Gamble would then extend the lead with a two-run homer of her own to secure the win for UNT.

Ashley Peters (5.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 5 K) improved to 1-0 on the year. Skylar Savage pitched two scoreless innings to record a save in her first career appearance.

Game 2

In game two on the day, the Mean Green pitching shut out Texas Southern with a dominating performance in a 6-0 win.

Janie Worthington pitched 5.0 innings and allowed only one hit while striking out 10 batters. Savage came on in relief again and struck out four more batters over two perfect innings.

Christensen continued her dominant day with her third home run, and finished the game 3-for-4 with five RBI.

The Mean Green will play another two games Saturday as they travel to Lafayette, Louisiana, to play Louisiana and Texas Southern.