UNDATED (KNTU) After a poor start to the season in non-conference play, North Texas softball has suddenly found itself in first place in Conference USA after taking 2-of-3 from Florida Atlantic (20-18, 8-4) on the road.
The series win comes one week after the Mean Green (18-16, 8-4) swept a three-game series against preseason conference favorite Louisiana Tech.
The turnaround has been primarily due to standout freshman pitcher Hope Trautwein, who has not allowed an earned run in her last 19 innings. The District 13-6A Pitcher of the Year in 2017 at Hendrickson High School in Pflugerville, Trautwein led Hendrickson to the 6A Regional Quarterfinals during her senior season. Less than a year later, she’s driving a turnaround at North Texas.
Trautwein has a team-leading 2.51 ERA, with a 10-6 record and eight complete games.
Friday, March 30 – 3:00 p.m.
North Texas 1, FAU 0 (8 innings)
In a pitcher’s duel, Trautwein (9-6, 2.67 ERA) threw eight shutout innings, striking out nine and allowing only three hits. She has 26 strikeouts in her last 32 innings.
Camille Grahmann scored the game’s only run on a Nicole Ochotnicki sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth.
Friday, March 30 – 5:00 p.m.
North Texas 4, FAU 12 (5 innings)
After being shutout in Game 1, the Owls exploded for eight first innings runs en route to a mercy rule victory.
Freshman pitcher Maria Priest (8-9, 4.33 ERA) struggled, giving eight runs on seven hits while failing to make it out of the first inning.
Fellow freshman Ally Lindsay pitched the remainder of the game, allowing four runs on eight hits.
The 15 total hits are the most given up by the Mean Green this season.
Saturday, March 31 – 11 a.m.
North Texas 2, FAU 1
Trautwein (10-6, 2.51) threw her second complete game of the weekend, striking out seven and scattering four hits.
Down 1-0 in the fifth inning, Ochotnicki hit a two-run home run to center field. It was her first hit of the series.
The win puts North Texas into a tie with FAU for first place in Conference USA, but gives the Mean Green the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Owls. The 8-4 conference record is the best start for the Mean Green since also going 8-4 in 2014, a year they won a program-record 31 games.
NEXT
North Texas will host Sam Houston State in a non-conference matchup at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 4.
