Troy, Ala. (5/9/13) - Mallorie Sulaski pitched a two-hitter to lead top-seeded Western Kentucky to a 3-1 win against North Texas in the second round of the conference tournament on Thursday afternoon at the Troy Softball Complex.
The Mean Green falls to 28-23, while the Lady Hilltoppers improve to 40-14 and advance to the semi-finals of the conference tournament. The fourth-seeded Mean Green will play the host school Troy in an elimination game on Friday at 12:30 p.m.
Sulaski (12-7) pitched a perfect game though the fifth inning and held the Mean Green to just one hit until the seventh. Jordan Terry posted the first hit for the Mean Green in the fifth inning, and Taylor Schoblocher scored the one and only run with a solo home run in the seventh.
Ashley Kirk (15-9) took the loss for the Mean Green. She gave up two earned runs off seven hits in seven innings of work. She struck out eight batters.
The score was tied at 0-0 through four innings of play. In the fifth inning, Shawna Sadler led off with a walk for WKU and then stole second. Preslie Cruce knocked a ball past a diving Karly Williams at second to score Sadler from second. Cruce later scored off a double and a Mean Green throwing error to put WKU ahead, 2-0.
WKU added to the score with a solo home run by Katrina Metoyer in the sixth inning.
The Mean Green offense started a little too late as Schoblocher hit her 11th home run of the season with two outs in the seventh. She is now tied for fourth in NT's record book for home runs in a single season. Only four other players in Mean Green history have hit 11 or more home runs in a single season.