MIAMI – Dominating pitching led the way for North Texas softball as the bats provided a combined 10 runs in a doubleheader win over Florida International on Saturday.
Hope Trautwein carried a no-hitter into the fifth of game one as she pitched 5.0 scoreless innings allowing just the lone hit. Trautwein struck out one.
"They made good pitches when we needed good pitches," head coach
Rodney DeLong said. "It was good to see Hope throw well. I didn't like the walks, hopefully we cut down on that tomorrow."
Florida-native
Jenna Goodrich – who grew up in Davie, about 30 minutes from Miami – got the nod in game two for North Texas (20-12, 9-2) and shined in the Sunshine State going 3-for-3 at the plate with a solo home run and 2RBI. Goodrich had about 30 family and friends in attendance to support.
"I was really happy for Jenna," DeLong said. "She played very well in front of a hometown crowd. She carried us at the plate."
North Texas 7, FIU 0
Behind Trautwein's strong pitching performance the Mean Green offense provided seven runs on six hits.
Tayla Evans tripled in the first to start the scoring as she drove home
Lacy Gregory. Another run came home in the first frame when Evans scampered home on a wild throwdown to second.
Harley Perella struck in the third for a solo home run, her fifth of the season to put North Texas up 3-0 before
Hannah Gerecke followed suit in the fourth with a solo shot of her own – her second of the season for a 4-0 lead.
Nicole Ochotnicki doubled home
Kenzie Young in the fourth as well for a 5-0 lead before Perella picked up her second RBI of the game with a sac-fly for the third run of the fourth. The final run came through
Katie Clark who drove home Gregory for the 17th RBI of the season.
Bailey Tindell entered for an inning of scoreless work allowing just one hit to close out the ballgame.
North Texas 3, FIU 0
Goodrich drove in a run in the second and provided a solo home run. North Texas struck for two runs in the second with Goodrich's homer coming in the fourth. The Mean Green had eight hits while FIU (18-17, 0-8) matched its total from game one with two.
Goodrich got the start, allowing two hits in 3.1 innings of scoreless work striking out four. Trautwein entered striking out four as well in 3.2 innings of scoreless work. The Mean Green return to action at 1 p.m. Sunday looking for its second Conference USA sweep of the season.