Florida Atlantic softball (26-13) closed its weekend series against the University of North Texas (22-17) with a season best 17-7 road victory, improving to an 8-7 conference record.
The Owls entered the series with limited historical success against North Texas. Despite winning their first meeting in March 2007, 8-1, the Owls have since gone 18-31 against the Mean Green, including a 7-17 mark in conference play. The Owls have averaged three runs per game, scoring 160 runs in total.
Thursday (April 2, 4 p.m.)
The Owls opened the series with a competitive, extra-inning game. At the top of the first inning, the Owls took an early lead as junior utility Ciara Gibson singled. In her advancement, Gibson was out at second base, which allowed teammate Bella Foran to plate from third base, unearned. The Owls kept the momentum swinging into the second inning. Catcher Chloe Yeatts homered far past right field to plate herself and teammate McKenna Mulholland. This gave the Owls a swift 3-0 lead.
North Texas struck back in the bottom of the third inning. Junior utility Madison Conley homered beyond right field. Soon after, her teammate Elizabeth Moffitt homered beyond left center field to cut down the lead to 3-2.
A scoreless fourth inning gave way to a productive fifth, as each team continued its offensive push with runs on the board. Gibson hit a sacrifice fly to right field, which plated infielder Hannah Rivers from third base. North Texas again responded right back. Sophomore utility Ariah Mitchell singled through the left side to plate teammate Taylor Platt. Conley then hit a sacrifice fly to left field as Mitchell scored, unearned. This leveled the score at an even 4-4.
The score remained deadlocked through the seventh, extending the game to extra innings. At the bottom of the tenth, North Texas completed its comeback when freshman outfielder Kaycee Slovak singled to right field to plate teammate Lianna Hull. This move ended the game 5-4 in North Texas’s favor.
It was a situational hitting game with several high-impact moments. Yeatts sparked the offense, going 2-3 at bat with two RBIs, while Gibson also drove in two runs on her lone hit in four at-bats. As a team, the Owls recorded eight total hits, including two doubles and a home run, finishing with a .235 team batting average.
Thursday (April 2, 7 p.m.)
Later that day, the Owls fell 4-13, losing by nine runs. The Owls gained the lead early on, before North Texas rallied to go on a 12-2 run.
At the top of the first inning, Yeatts singled to right field on a two RBI move to plate teammates Jesiana Mora and Foran from second and third base, respectively. North Texas quickly responded when junior pitcher Bradi Harman singled up the middle to plate teammate Eva Daniels. The Owls were still ahead 2-1.
North Texas then went on an unanswered 10-run stretch beginning in the second inning. Mitchell reached first on a fielder’s choice, and Platt advanced to third on a throwing error. Freshman infielder Sienna Mayer was plated on the same misplay. Conley then homered beyond left-field on a 3 RBI move, which plated herself and teammates Mitchell and Platt.
The Mean Green furthered their scoring stretch in the third inning. Mayer singled down the left-field foul line, which advanced teammate Blayze McNemar to third base and plated Slovak. Platt then singled through the left side. This advanced Mayer to second base and plated McNemar. Shortly after, Moffitt hit a grand slam past right field to plate herself as well as teammates Conley, Platt, and Mayer to put North Texas ahead at 11-2.
In the fourth inning, the Owls scored twice, but it was not enough to overcome North Texas. Sophomore utility Destiny Johns hit a sacrifice fly to center field to drive in Yeatts, followed by a Gibson solo home run past right field, cutting the deficit down to 4-11. North Texas outfielder McNemar then wrapped up proceedings with a two RBIs, home run move to plate herself and teammate Slovak. A final fifth inning remained scoreless, leaving the Owls still in search of their first win in the series.
Even with the large margin, several Owls’ batters had strong individual performances. Mora impressed, going 2-for-3 at bat and scoring a run, while Yeatts went 1-2 at bat with two RBIs and a run scored. Junior outfielder Kiley Shelton also hit 1 with her sole appearance at bat, all of which contributed to an improved .286 team batting average.
Friday (April 3, 1 p.m.)
In the final game of the series, the Owls rebounded in a dominant 17-7 performance. At the top of the first inning, Yeatts singled to right-center field, which advanced Mora to third base and plated teammate Kylie Hammonds. Infielder Yani Guzman then singled with a bunt. This move advanced Yeatts to second base and plated Mora. North Texas responded with two scores of their own. Harman doubled to center field, which plated teammates Conley and Daniels. This leveled the score 2-2.
The Owls surged for a 6-2 run in the second inning. Hammonds singled to left-field, which advanced Foran to second base and plated Gibson. Mora then singled through the right side. This move advanced Hammonds to second base, who then reached third base and plated Foran. Guzman then walked, which advanced Yeatts to second base, Mora to third base, and plated Hammonds.
Johns then doubled down the right foul line in a two RBI move, which advanced Guzman to third base and drove in teammates Yeatts and Mora. Gibson then doubled to left-center field. This move plated Johns, while Guzman was out at home plate. North Texas drove in two more scores right after to keep the scoreline manageable at 8-4.
The Owls’ offense then went on another scoring stretch, racking up six unanswered runs in the third and fourth innings. Yeatts was hit by a wild pitch, which allowed Mora to advance to second base, Hammonds to third base, and Foran to reach home plate. Guzman then hit a sacrifice fly to right field down the foul line, which advanced sophomore catcher Sophia Camacho to second base, Mora to third base, and plated Hammonds.
Johns then singled to center field. This move advanced Camacho to third base and plated Mora. Gibson then homered far beyond center field in a three RBI move to plate herself and teammates Camacho and Johns to cap off the third inning.
Yeatts kept the scoring streak going in the fourth inning when she reached first base on a fielding error. This move advanced Mora to second base, Hammonds to third base, and plated Foran, unearned. Shelton then doubled the left-field foul line on a two RBI move, which plated Yeatts and Mora, both unearned. This put the Owls ahead 17-4.
A final fifth inning gave the Mean Green the opportunity to strike back with what would have been an historic comeback. A solo home run from Conley and a triple to center field from Mayer in a two RBI move to plate teammates Slovak and Harman, both unearned, proved to be too little too late. The game ended 17-7 to the Owls, who gained a much-needed victory to finish off the three-game series in stride.
The Owls’ persistent offense paid off in this game. Mora shined going 3-for-3 at bat with four runs scored. Hammonds also performed well, going 2-for-2 at bat with three runs scored. Both Johns and Guzman each had three RBI, while Gibson drove in four runs in addition to her two runs scored. As a team, the Owls recorded 15 total hits and 16 total RBIs with a .536 team batting average, which doubled each of their previous showings in the series.
The Owls look ahead to a three-game, rivalry clash against the University of South Florida (29-12) in Tampa, Florida, from April 10-12.
Jacob Weeks is a Staff Writer for the University Press. Email him at [email protected] for more information on this or other stories.
