University of North Texas
2-3
Missouri
9-0
Softball Tallies First Home Win
2/17/2024 8:59:00 PM | Softball
DENTON, Texas – UNT softball capped its first home games of the season with a 9-4 win over South Dakota State under the lights of Lovelace Stadium on Saturday. Senior McKenzie Wagoner set her new Lovelace Stadium career high with nine strikeouts over 7.0 innings pitched.
"We beat a good South Dakota State team so I'm proud of that," head coach Rodney DeLong said. "We beat their ace and that's what we needed to do."
The Mean Green (3-3) bounced back after dropping its home opener 10-0 to No. 14 Missouri (9-0) earlier in the day.
"I was glad with how we responded," DeLong added. "That's what we needed to do."
Wagoner (W, 1-0) picked up her first win of the season over the Jackrabbits (4-5) with a seven-inning, complete-game performance. She allowed three earned runs on 10 hits and one walk.
Rylee Nicholson led the offense with a career high three walks and tied her own program record of three stolen bases. She became the sixth player in UNT history to swipe three bags in a single game and the first to reach the milestone multiple times after she matched the mark on Sunday versus Lipscomb.
Nicholson added season-best marks of two runs and one RBI in the nightcap. Kat Ibarra tallied three RBI in the game with two on a second-inning single to open the scoring.
Kailey Gamble supplied a two-RBI double later in the second and moved into a tie for the sixth in UNT history.
Cierra Simon matched her career-high mark of two stolen bases and recorded two runs scored, two RBI and two walks.
Mackenzie Childers (L, 1-2) was tabbed as the starter in the opening game against Missouri. Skylar Savage spun 5.1 innings in relief with two strikeouts while she gave up one earned run on four hits and four walks.
Redshirt freshman Kayleigh Smith made her first career appearance for the Mean Green to finish the game against the Tigers.
UP NEXT
UNT returns to Lovelace Stadium on Sunday for the final day of the Tracy Beard College Classic. The Mean Green will meet Missouri at 11 a.m. and South Dakota State at 1:30 p.m. Both games can be followed via live stats at meangreenstats.com. Fans can purchase tickets HERE.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Harrison, Cierra (4-0)
L: Childers, Mackenzie (1-2)
Batting:
2B: Crenshaw, Julia 1 ; Abruscato, Stefania 1
RBI: Laird, Jenna 1 ; Crenshaw, Julia 3 ; Daly, Kara 1 ; Gallagher, Maddie 1 ; Abruscato, Stefania 2 ; Lenger, Kayley 1 ; Dodge, Mya 1
SH: Honnold, Alex 1
SF: Laird, Jenna 1 ; Crenshaw, Julia 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Laird, Jenna 3 ; Honnold, Alex 2 ; Crenshaw, Julia 1 ; Daly, Kara 1 ; Gallagher, Maddie 1 ; Abruscato, Stefania 1 ; Lenger, Kayley 1
SB: Lenger, Kayley 1
CS: Honnold, Alex 1
Base Running:
HBP: Conley, Madison 1
