DENTON - Despite trailing in both games, Mean Green softball found a way to win on Saturday in the opening doubleheader of Conference USA play. 

North Texas (13-8, 2-0) defeated Southern Miss in two games, coming from behind in both. The Mean Green rallied with a massive first inning in game one to win, before manufacturing late runs in game two to pull out the victory. Head coach Rodney DeLong knew what to expect from these games. 

"Coming into the series we knew it would be a dogfight," DeLong said. "We found a way to win two games. Nothing better than that."

Lacy Gregory continued her hot streak with a 4-for-7 day at the plate, while Kenzie Young drove in two runs while going 2-for-4 at the dish. 

North Texas 7, Southern Miss 5
The Mean Green exploded for seven runs in the first proving the difference between the two teams. North Texas kept the basepaths populated. Tayla Evans started the scoring with single to right field scoring Katie Clark. Then it was Rhylie Makawe getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded that forced another run home. Hannah Gerecke got in on the action with an RBI single to left field before Nicole Ochotnicki drove in two runs with a single. 

Young rounded out the inning with a double that scored two runs, making the score 7-1 North Texas. Hope Trautwein went the distance. She allowed five runs on seven hits striking out four. 

"We pitched well today," DeLong said. "It kept us in the ballgame. As we got into the games we threw well and it gave us a chance to win. That was probably the difference. It gave us an opportunity to win the game."

After two runs in the second, Southern Miss went quiet until a lone run in the sixth but the ballgame was decided. Trautwein improved to 8-2 on the year. 

North Texas 4, Southern Miss 3
Four runs in the sixth salvaged a good pitching performance from Bailey Tindell in game two. Tindell went five innings, allowing just three runs on three hits. Jenna Goodrich relived her retiring all four batters she faced before Truatwein picked up the save. It was Makakwe's sac-fly in the sixth that pushed Kourtney Williams across as the go-ahead run. 

Prior to Williams scoring, Harley Perella started the scoring with a single to score Young. Tayla Evans knocked home two more runs, as Perella came across before Clark scored on an error to tie the game. Gregory broke up a perfect game the inning before with a base-knock to wake up the Mean Green bats.

"You gotta give credit to their pitcher, she did well," Gregory said. "It was good to just get our offense going."

The Mean Green return to action Sunday at noon.