DENTON, Texas (2/16/13) - The North Texas softball team finished the Lovelace Invitational with a win, defeating Dayton, 3-2, on Saturday night. The Mean Green lost to Iowa, 4-1, in its first game of the day.
The Mean Green improves to 4-5 overall and finishes the tournament with a 1-3 record. Iowa is now 7-2, while Dayton is 0-4. The Hawkeyes are 4-0 in the tournament.
Down 2-0 to Dayton, North Texas scored three runs in the fifth inning to take the win from the Flyers. Brittany Simmons (2-1) picked up the win in relief, allowing just one hit in four innings of work.
North Texas allowed early runs in all four games of the tournament. Iowa took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of the first Mean Green game on Saturday. The Mean Green tied the game in the fifth inning but allowed the Hawkeyes to regain the lead in the sixth.
Simmons entered the Dayton game in the fourth inning with the bases loaded and no outs on the scoreboard. The senior forced the batter into a groundout double play that she started, and then ended the threat with a pop up.
The Mean Green offense responded in the fifth by bringing nine batters up to hit. Paige Kisling started the inning with a single up the middle. She advanced to second on an infield single by Brooke Foster and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. After Dani Hoff walked to load the bases, Jackie Miller brought Kisling home with a single to the outfield.
Bryana Wade was hit by a pitch, bringing home the tying run. Karly Williams posted the game-winning RBI with a bases-loaded walk. Hoff scored the winning run.
Simmons sealed the win by allowing just two base runners the last three innings.
Kayla Massey allowed just one run off two hits in the Iowa victory against the Mean Green. She pitched four hitless innings before giving up a solo home run to>Bryana Wade in the fifth. She allowed one other hit in the fifth and then shut down the Mean Green the rest of the way.
Massey struck out nine batters and went 3-for-3 at the plate with a solo home run.
Ashley Kirk (1-3) picked up the loss for the Mean Green. She pitched seven innings and gave up four runs off seven hits. She struck out seven batters.
North Texas returns to action on Wednesday, Feb. 20 when it faces UTSA on the road in a doubleheader at 5 p.m.
