University of North Texas
10-11, 0
East Carolina
21-3, 0
Softball Records Shutout over ECU
3/8/2024 9:03:00 PM | Softball
DENTON, Texas – UNT softball opened its American Athletic Conference schedule with a 5-0 shutout victory over East Carolina at Lovelace Stadium on Friday.
"It was refreshing to see us again," sophomore Tatum Sparks said. "We looked like ourselves, we played like ourselves and we had a lot of good energy."
Sparks finished 2-for-3 for her fifth multi-hit game of the season and added one RBI, one run scored and one stolen base. Her RBI double in the fourth helped open a four-run inning to lead the Mean Green (10-11, 1-0) to its first win in The American.
Senior McKenzie Wagoner (W, 6-3) spun her third complete-game shutout of the season against the Pirates (21-3, 0-1) who entered the weekend with the top record in the league. Wagoner tallied four strikeouts and gave up two hits and four walks.
Jodie Epperson delivered her first multi-hit performance of the season as she finished 2-for-3 with one RBI.
Shortstop Cierra Simon led the North Texas defense with five assists including a spinning effort for the first out in the seventh and started a bases loaded double play to end the fourth inning. She also swiped her 41st career base to tie for the second-highest mark in program history on a play in which Sparks scored from third.
Kailey Gamble extended her 11-game reached base streak to set a new team high for the Mean Green this season.
UP NEXT
UNT returns to Lovelace Stadium for game two against ECU on Saturday at 2 p.m. on ESPN+. Fans can purchase tickets HERE.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Wagoner, McKenzie (6-3)
L: Jordan Hatch (9-3)
Batting:
2B: Sparks, Tatum 1
3B: Ibarra, Kat 1
RBI: Ibarra, Kat 1 ; Epperson, Jodie 1 ; Sparks, Tatum 1
SH: Smith, Mikayla 1 ; Moffitt, Elizabeth 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Ibarra, Kat 1 ; Christensen, Kalei 1 ; Smith, Mikayla 1 ; Sparks, Tatum 1 ; Simon, Cierra 1
SB: Christensen, Kalei 1 ; Sparks, Tatum 1 ; Simon, Cierra 1
HBP: Simon, Cierra 1
