by TROY, Ala. – Senior Kailyn Bearpaw hit a two-run home run in the top of the eighth inning to clinch a 5-3 win over Central Michigan on Friday at Troy Softball Complex. The Mean Green fell 11-5 to Tennessee State in the second game of the Trojan Classic.
“I knew right away that it was out,” Bearpaw said. “Just seeing my teammates so happy was really fun.”
With the win over the Chippewas (0-1), UNT (1-1) tallied its fourth-consecutive victory in the opening contest of the season and sixth in seven seasons for head coach Rodney DeLong.
Senior Skylar Savage (ND) started the opening game in the circle and tossed 6 1/3 innings with six strikeouts before sophomore Anneca Anderson (W, 1-0) entered in the seventh to earn the victory. In her first action with the Mean Green, Anderson gave up one hit over 1 2/3 innings with one strikeout.
Shortstop Ausha Moore and left fielder Taylor Platt became the first true freshman duo to start the opening game of the season for DeLong since 2021. On Feb. 13, 2021, UNT started four true freshmen with left fielder Katy Truitt, designated player Rayna Lewis, first base Kailey Gamble and catcher Ashlyn Walker in the lineup.
The Mean Green opened the scoring with two runs in the second as senior Rylee Nicholson laced an RBI double to score Madison Conley. Nicholson would later score on a throwing error after she stole third base.
On the back end of the doubleheader, North Texas failed to close out Tennessee State (1-0) despite entering the seventh inning with a two-run lead.
Nicholson and Conley each posted two-hit games against the Tigers while Bearpaw connected for her second home run of the day on a solo shot in the sixth inning to add an insurance run.
Starting pitcher Mackenzie Childers (ND) completed two innings before Anderson (L, 1-1) was summoned from the bullpen with runners on first and third base in the third inning. In total, the Mean Green pitching staff surrendered nine walks and three hit-by-pitches.
Sophomore Kayleigh Smith ended an eight-run barrage by TSU in the seventh inning as she retired the side with two strikeouts and a groundout.
