No. 22 Softball Tallies Two Shutouts to Remain Unbeaten

CELINA, Texas – The No. 22 UNT softball team collected a pair of wins to open the Tracy Beard College Classic with a 6-0 victory over South Dakota and an 8-0 result against UT Arlington on Friday at Old Celina Park.

This season, the Mean Green have posted a +37-run differential to outscore its opponents 40-3 in six wins.

Reigning Conference USA Pitcher of the Week Ashley Peters recorded her third win of the season versus South Dakota, throwing 5.0 innings with five strikeouts, allowing one hit and two walks.

McKenzie Wagoner was tabbed for the start in the second game against UTA, spinning the first complete-game shutout of her collegiate career, adding six strikeouts.

Over 29.2 innings, Peters and Wagoner have combined to give up only one earned run to pace the pitching staff for a combined 0.38 ERA for the season.

HOW IT HAPPENED VS. SOUTH DAKOTA

Cierra Simon picked up the first hit of the afternoon, dropping a bunt single in the bottom of the third.
Simon would later steal second base and come home to score on a Lexi Cobb single through the left side of the diamond for a 1-0 North Texas lead after three innings.
Peters held a no-hit bid through 4.1 innings before giving up a single with one away in the top of the fifth inning.
Molly Rainey recorded an outfield assist on the only hit of the afternoon for the Coyotes, throwing out the runner attempting to advance to third on the play.
Rylee Nicholson led off the home half of the fifth with a single. Simon followed with a full count double off the outfield wall to place two runners in scoring position with no outs.
On the next pitch, Cobb collected two RBI with her own double, advancing to third on the throw. Cobb came home to score on a sacrifice fly from Rainey, to push the lead to 4-0 after five innings.
Wagoner entered the circle in relief and quickly collected three ground outs to retire the side.
Nicholson hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning, the first of her UNT career to widen the gap to 6-0.
Mackenzie Childers sealed the win, retiring the side in order including two strikeouts. For the season, she has struck out five of the six batters she has faced.

HOW IT HAPPENED VS. UT ARLINGTON

UNT opened the second game with a two-out rally in the first, sparked with a sharp infield single from Mikayla Smith to open the scoring.
Jodie Epperson collected an RBI double down the left field line to put North Texas ahead 2-0 at the end of the first inning.
In the second, Saleen Donohoe hit her first home run of the season in her first start of the season for a 3-0 edge over the Mavericks.
The Mean Green threatened in the third inning, loading the bases with two outs but were unable to capitalize.
Wagoner retired the side in order to open the fourth, collecting a pair of strikeouts.
Cobb opened the bottom of the frame with a bunt single, coming in to score on a Kalei Christensen RBI single.
Gamble knocked in Christensen and was later brought home with an RBI double from Epperson to open a 6-0 UNT lead after four innings.
Cobb and Molly Rainey reached base with one away in the fifth and subsequently executed a double steal to place both runners in scoring position.
With a full count, Christensen drove a ball to left to score both runners and seal the 8-0, five-inning win.

NOTES

Cobb collected hits in both games on Friday to extend her six-game hitting streak.
Peters extended her streak of innings pitched without giving up an earned run to 21.0 on Friday. The streak began in the NCAA Regionals at Oklahoma State on May 22, 2022.
The Mean Green will enter Saturday's slate with 499 wins in the modern UNT softball era, which began in 2004.
North Texas is set to take on No. 15 Kentucky on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The contest will mark the first occasion in modern UNT athletics history in which a game will feature two ranked opponents.

UP NEXT
North Texas is set to play two games at Old Celina Park on the second day of the Tracy Beard College Classic in Celina, Texas on Saturday. The Mean Green will meet Sam Houston at 1:30 p.m. and No. 15 Kentucky at 7:30 p.m. Fans can purchase tickets HERE.

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Team Stats

Cierra Simon

Lexi Cobb

Rylee Nicholson

Kalei Christensen

Players Mentioned

Mackenzie Childers

Kalei Christensen

Lexi Cobb

Saleen Donohoe

Jodie Epperson

Rylee Nicholson

Ashley Peters

Molly Rainey

Cierra Simon

Mikayla Smith

McKenzie Wagoner

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