University of North Texas
19-12
UT Arlington
11-20
Softball Collects Comeback Win at UTA
3/26/2024 11:36:00 PM | Softball
ARLINGTON, Texas – UNT softball overcame a three-run deficit to capture a 7-4 win over UT Arlington on Tuesday night at Allan Saxe Field.
"We're finding ways to win," head coach Rodney DeLong said. "I'm proud of our girls and [how they found] a way to win that game."
The Mean Green (19-12) collected its second win of the season when trailing after the fifth inning with five runs over the final two frames. The Mavericks (11-20) took a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the third inning with an RBI single and three-run home run, both with two outs in the inning.
Starting pitcher Mackenzie Childers (W, 7-4) lasted five innings with seven strikeouts and allowed zero earned runs due to an error to open the third inning. She eclipsed 100 career innings pitched to qualify to UNT ratio statistics and moved into first place with a clip of 8.65 strikeout per seven innings.
McKenzie Wagoner (SV, 1) finished the final two innings and allowed zero runs on zero hits and one walk. She recorded three strikeouts to surpass 200 for her collegiate career, between Liberty and UNT.
"I haven't been as sharp as I usually am," Wagoner said. "I went back to the drawing board and figured it out tonight. I felt really confident because my team had my back."
North Texas opened the scoring in the first inning with an RBI single from the red-hot Mikayla Smith. Over the past 11 games, Smith has improved her batting average from .233 to .320 with 14 hits, 13 RBI, seven runs scored and four home runs. The Mean Green improved to 7-2 when scoring in the first inning and 15-2 in games it scored first.
After falling behind 4-1, Saleen Donohoe scored on an error in the fourth inning after Kalei Christensen hit a single into center field. Childers retired the side over the next two innings to set the table for a comeback with her team down 4-2.
A pair of walks and a fielding error loaded the bases in the sixth as Kailey Gamble entered as a pinch hitter. The senior recorded her program record 12th sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to 4-3 before Tatum Sparks helped push the other two runners home on an error in left field. UTA recorded five errors on the night, the most by an opponent this season.
The Mean Green tallied two more runs in the seventh inning on an error in right field to seal the victory.
UP NEXT
UNT travels for an American Athletic Conference series at South Florida beginning on Thursday at 5 p.m. CT. The three-game set will be broadcast on ESPN+ from USF Softball Stadium.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Childers, Mackenzie (7-3)
L: Gutierrez, Abi (4-3)
S: Wagoner, McKenzie (1)
Batting:
2B: Simon, Cierra 1 ; Smith, Mikayla 1 ; Donohoe, Saleen 1 ; Rainey, Molly 1
RBI: Smith, Mikayla 1 ; Christensen, Kalei 1 ; Gamble, Kailey 1
SF: Christensen, Kalei 1 ; Gamble, Kailey 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Simon, Cierra 2 ; Smith, Mikayla 1 ; Truitt, Katy 1 ; Donohoe, Saleen 1 ; Christensen, Kalei 1 ; Rainey, Molly 1
HBP: Epperson, Jodie 1
Batting:
HR: Neises, Marley 1
RBI: Franklin, Lindsey 1 ; Neises, Marley 3
SH: Corona, Camille 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Corona, Camille 1 ; Franklin, Lindsey 1 ; Neises, Marley 1 ; Ornelas, Valerie 1
