University of North Texas
21-13, 10-2
South Florida
24-14, 4-8
Softball Secures AAC Series at USF with Shutout
3/30/2024 4:57:00 PM | Softball
TAMPA, Fla. – UNT softball clinched its fourth-consecutive American Athletic Conference series with a 2-0 win in eight innings over South Florida on Saturday at USF Softball Stadium.
The Mean Green (21-13, 10-2) improved to 3-0 in extra innings contests this year and 15-5 in the Rodney DeLong era. North Texas posted its ninth shutout of the season against USF (24-15, 4-8) to match the third-best mark in program history, only three shy of the single-season record.
Kailey Gamble provided a two-run double in the top of the eighth after a pair of walks placed runners on first and second. Gamble moved into a tie for the second-most RBI in UNT career history with 128 over her four seasons in Denton.
Starting pitcher Mackenzie Childers (W, 9-4) tallied her third eight-inning shutout of the season and held South Florida hitless through 3 2/3 innings. She struck out four batters while allowing two hits and three walks.
Cierra Simon ended the first inning with a lineout double play after the Bulls placed a runner on third. Later, she led off the fourth inning with a double to end USF starting pitcher Payton Dixon's (L, 12-5) no-hit bid.
In the fifth, Madison Conley and Lexi Cobb each drew two-out walks and later advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch. The Mean Green were unable to tally either run despite a 10 pitch at-bat from Kat Ibarra.
Childers shut down the final three innings and faced 11 batters, none of which made it past first base.
UP NEXT
North Texas welcomes No. 8 Oklahoma State to Lovelace Stadium on Wednesday at 6 p.m. Tickets for the game are sold out but the midweek contest will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Childers, Mackenzie (9-4)
L: DIXON, P. (12-5)
Batting:
2B: Simon, Cierra 1 ; Gamble, Kailey 1
RBI: Gamble, Kailey 2
SH: Medford, Morgan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Simon, Cierra 1 ; Smith, Mikayla 1
Batting:
SH: ELLIOTT, O. 1
Base Running:
SB: GALLIGANI, A 1
HBP: FOREMAN, J. 1
