DENTON (2/25/05) - The North Texas softball team split its first two games in opening day action at the North Texas Mean Green Classic on Friday afternoon at Denia Park. The Mean Green came back to defeat New Mexico, 8-6, and then lost, 1-0, to Southwest Missouri in nine innings.
The Mean Green (3-11) went 1-1 in its first two home games at Denia Park this season. North Texas improved its series record against New Mexico to 3-1 and goes 0-2 versus Southwest Missouri.
Sophomores Heather Bostic and Christen Jonse hit back-to-back two-RBI singles in the top of the seventh inning to defeat the Lobos. Freshman Kristina Fowler earned her second victory on the mound for the Mean Green to improve to 2-3 on the season.
Senior Stephanie Cranmer capped a four-run fifth inning with a two-run homer to put North Texas ahead, 4-0. The home run was the first of Cranmer’s career at North Texas. Freshman Katya Muller scored the team’s first run of the game off a Monica Garcia sacrifice fly. Fowler knocked in the second run with a single and scored on the home run by Cranmer.
New Mexico responded with six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, including a grand slam by Ashley Shartzer, to take the lead. All four runs were unearned because of a North Texas error.
North Texas loaded the bases for Bostic in the seventh inning after singles by sophomore Kelei Walker and Cranmer and a walk by senior Brittiny Chapman. Bostic tied the game at 6-6 with a two-out single that scored two runs. Jonse followed with her second single of the game that scored the game-winning run and tacked on an insurance run.
Freshman Melissa Porshe pitched a two-hit shutout for Southwest Missouri in its game against North Texas. Walker and sophomore Marquita Adams posted NT’s only hits of the game. Walker doubled and reached third on Adams’ single in the eighth inning but Porsche forced a flyout to end the inning.
Southwest Missouri scored the winning run off a North Texas error in the top of the ninth inning. Sophomore Katy Maxey took the loss on the mound for North Texas, despite allowing six hits in 8.2 innings of work.
North Texas returns to action on Saturday, Feb. 26 with games at 11 am and 2 pm in the North Texas/Mean Green Classic.
