University of North Texas
6-5
New Mexico
4-12
Childers Tallies First No-Hitter in Saturday Split
2/24/2024 10:33:00 PM | Softball
First UNT no-hit performance since March 2022
DENTON, Texas – Mackenzie Childers recorded her first career no-hit performance as UNT softball defeated New Mexico 1-0 with a walk off double from Jodie Epperson on Saturday at Lovelace Stadium. The Mean Green fell 8-7 against Texas Tech in its final game of the day.
Childers (W, 3-2) is the first UNT player with a no-hitter since Skylar Savage at Charlotte on March 25, 2022. She allowed zero hits and two walks over 8.0 innings with eight strikeouts.
North Texas (6-6) registered its first walk-off victory of the season over the Lobos (4-12) and also tallied its first win in extra innings. Epperson drove in the winning run on a double that banged off the right-field wall to score Emma Grahmann.
Lovelace Stadium hosted a record-breaking 788 fans in session two of Saturday's UNT Invite to surpass the previous record of 691 against Oklahoma on April 30, 2015, by nearly 100 fans.
Despite a five-run first inning, the Mean Green lost its second game after the Red Raiders (11-3) posted eight unanswered runs including five in the sixth. The seven-run offensive output is the largest in a loss this season and the most since the Mean Green lost 8-7 at UTSA on April 8, 2022.
In the first inning against Texas Tech, Kailey Gamble hit her first home run of the season – a two-run shot – off the top of the Lovelace Stadium video board that is stationed in right-center field. Tatum Sparks followed with her own two-run home run two batters later.
Starter McKenzie Wagoner (ND) lasted 5.0 innings with two strikeouts. She allowed three runs on six hits and two walks. After UNT lost the lead, Childers shut down the Red Raiders over 2.0 innings with three strikeouts.
UP NEXT
The Mean Green will close the UNT Invite at Lovelace Stadium on Sunday against Texas Tech at 11:30 a.m. and Stephen F. Austin at 2 p.m. All games can be followed at meangreenstats.com. For full tournament schedule and ticket information, please visit our Tournament Central page.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Childers, Mackenzie (3-2)
L: SNOW, Taylor (1-5)
Batting:
SH: BRAMSON, Emma 1
Batting:
2B: Epperson, Jodie 1
RBI: Epperson, Jodie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Grahmann, Emma 1
