LUBBOCK – The UTA softball team (10-7) split a double-header against North Texas and Texas Tech on Friday at Rocky Johnson Field. The Mavericks defeated the Mean Green 12-7 in the first game, before falling to Texas Tech 9-1 in game two.
UTA VS NORTH TEXAS RECAP
The Mavericks jumped out to a three-run lead in the first inning thanks in large part to four errors by the Mean Green to start the game. North Texas scored one in the bottom of the first but a fifth error to start the second inning allowed the Mavs an extra chance to score, pushing the lead back to three.
Following a solo shot by the Mean Green in the second, UTA's hot bats continued into the third.
Brittany Wyllie drove in two runs with a triple before she crossed the plate with a single by
Kayci Moore.
The Mean Green continued to hang around, scoring another run in the third with a sacrifice fly to make the score 6-3.
A productive fourth inning saw the Mavericks score four more runs, coming off the bats of
Bri Burchianti and Wyllie, while Rude score off an error by the catcher.
The Mavericks picked up some security runs in the top of the seventh, with a two-run single by
Whitney Walton to make it a 12-3 game.
The Mean Green began to rally in the seventh inning, with their first two batters reaching base, before the third knocked them in with a home run to make it 12-6. UNT scored one more run with a single up the middle to bring the score to 12-7.
UTA VS NO. 16 TEXAS TECH RECAP
Whitney Walton led off the game with a standup double before crossing home plate with a
Laura Curry sacrifice fly.
UTA had a chance to extend their lead in the second inning, getting two runners on base, but a pop up ended the inning and the threat. Texas Tech tied the game in the bottom of the second with a solo home run to left field. Three batters later, another Red Raider connected on a three-run home run to make it 4-1.
After the Mavs were held scoreless in the third, the Red Raiders extended their lead in the bottom half of the inning, scoring two runs to make it 6-1 and force a UTA pitching change.
The Mavericks kept the Red Raiders off the board in the fourth, but Tech came right back in the fifth, hitting a solo home run to start the inning. The Red Raiders loaded the bases before hitting a chopper to third base to score the two needed runs to end the game from run-rule, winning 9-1.
UP NEXT
UTA will finish the Texas Tech Invitational with two more game tomorrow, taking on North Texas at 12:30 p.m. before finishing the weekend with another matchup against Texas Tech at 5:30 p.m.
