Gamble Collects Two Home Runs in Sunday Split

DENTON – Kailey Gamble hit a pair of home runs as UNT softball split the final day of the North Texas Invitational with a 10-1 win over Northwestern State and losing 5-3 to Wichita State on Sunday.

"It was nice to play in front of a great home this weekend," head coach Rodney DeLong said. "We played against tough competition, but we still have progress to make as a team. Our group is still trying to figure some things out, but I like how our players responded to adversity. Playing really good programs helps us figure out where we need to improve."

Gamble finished the day with a 3-5 line with a pair of home runs and five RBI in the two contests.

Ashley Peters collected the win over the Lady Demons in 4.0 innings pitched with three strikeouts and no earned runs. McKenzie Wagoner entered the circle in relief to close out the victory, spinning two scoreless innings with two strikeouts.

Mackenzie Childers held the Shockers scoreless in 5.0 innings of work, allowing four hits while striking out one.

HOW IT HAPPENED VS. WICHITA STATE

A first inning, three-run home run gave the Shockers a 3-0 lead.
The Mean Green were able to put two runners on with no outs in the bottom of the frame but could not bring them home.
Childers entered the game in relief of Skylar Savage with two runners on base. Both inherited runners would score to put Wichita State ahead 5-0.
Saleen Donohoe hit her fourth home run of the year in the bottom of the third to cut the lead to 5-1.
Sydney Ingle led off the bottom of the seventh with her first hit of the season, followed by a Lexi Cobb four-pitch walk.
Cierra Simon loaded the bases with a bunt single.
Donohoe collected an RBI single to pull North Texas a run closer at 5-2.
Gamble tallied an RBI on a sacrifice fly down the left field line as UNT trailed 5-3 with one out.
The rally fell short with a ground ball double play to end the game at 5-3.

HOW IT HAPPENED VS. NORTHWESTERN STATE

After Peters retired the side in order to begin the game, North Texas picked up where they left off in the previous contest, loading the bases with no outs.
Gamble tallied another sacrifice fly RBI for a 1-0 North Texas lead.
Molly Rainey brought in two more runs with an RBI single to put UNT ahead 3-0 at the end of the first.
Northwestern State pulled a run back in the top of the second, cutting the Mean Green advantage to 3-1.
Cobb opened the home half of the inning with a double and later stole third. She would come home to score on a ground out for a 4-1 North Texas lead.
Gamble hit her third home run of the weekend to widen the gap to 5-1 in favor of UNT.
Peters navigated the next two innings without allowing a run, collecting a pair of strikeouts along with an inning-ending putout on a line drive in the fourth.
Gamble and Rainey both opened the bottom of the fifth with singles to place two runners on base with Emma Grahmann pinch running for Gamble.
Rylee Nicholson drove in both runners with a double to left center for a 7-1 lead.
Tatum Sparks knocked in Nicholson with an RBI single to open an 8-1 advantage.
Donohoe slapped a first-pitch single to open the bottom of the sixth inning.
Gamble launched her second home run of the game over the center field wall to end the game 10-1 in six innings.

NOTES

North Texas collected its fourth run-rule victory of the season in the win over the Lady Demons.
The Mean Green finished the opening month of the season with a 10-4 record, the third-most wins in February over the last ten years. In the DeLong era, none of his teams have posted lower than a .667 winning percentage in February.

"I like where we are as a team," DeLong said. "We are far from a finished product, but I am certain we will be tough when it matters the most."

UP NEXT
North Texas will travel to Austin to meet the No. 17 Texas Longhorns on Wednesday at 6 p.m. on Longhorn Network.

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Team Stats

Kailey Gamble

Rylee Nicholson

Lexi Cobb

Molly Rainey

Players Mentioned

Mackenzie Childers

Lexi Cobb

Saleen Donohoe

Kailey Gamble

Emma Grahmann

Rylee Nicholson

Ashley Peters

Molly Rainey

Skylar Savage

Cierra Simon

Tatum Sparks

McKenzie Wagoner

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