@BearsSoftball Drops First Two Games of 2019 Season

Friday, February 8

College Station, TX

9 am

University of Northern Colorado

0-1

North Texas

1-0

North Texas

Northern Colorado

Photo by: Dean Popejoy

2/8/2019 8:54:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Northern Colorado fell to North Texas and Texas A&M in shortened games

By: Matthew Kushar, UNCBears.com

COLLEGE STATION, TX- The 2019 season did not get off to the start head coach Ben Garcia wanted, after the team dropped its first two games of the Aggie Classic. UNC started out falling to North Texas, 9-0 in six innings and No. 20 Texas A&M 18-2 in five innings.

UNC struggles to get runners on base with six hits and six walks between both games. The Bears also committed five errors on the first day of the season.

Bears vs. Mean Green
UNC started its season Friday morning against North Texas, with Valerie Vidal in circle for the Bears against Hope Trautwein.

It was tough out of the gate for Vidal, as the Mean Green pushed three runs across in the first inning, aided by two UNC fielding errors.
North Texas added another run in the second on a double from Lacy Gregory that scored Harley Perella.

Things did not improve for Vidal, and the Mean Green broke the game open in the third inning with another three runs on hit and one error to build a 7-0 lead.

Trautwein kept the UNC hitters in check all game, allowing only two hits and two walks, while striking out eight.

Taylor Puga came into the game to relieve Vidal in the fourth inning and she was able to keep North Texas off the scoreboard for two innings. The Mean Green would strike again in top of the sixth, scoring two runs off Puga to give the team a 9-0 lead.

UNC was unable to score any runs in the bottom of the sixth and the game ended by way of the eight run rule.

Vidal was tagged with loss after going three innings and giving up seven runs, with only two being earned. Vidal struggled with her command, issuing eight walks with only one strikeout. Puga pitched three innings, with two earned runs, walking five and striking out three.

Kenzie Kudrna had two singles in the game, accounting for both of the Bears' hits.

Bears vs. Aggies
Freshman Maggie Thurston made her first career start against Texas A&M against the Aggies Kayla Poynter.

Texas A&M started fast against in the bottom of the first Thurston with a two-run, home run from Riley Sartain and another run on UNC error made the score 3-0.

The bats kept up in the bottom of the second, scoring five runs on six hits. The Aggies had two RBI singles and an RBI double.

After a clean third inning, Texas A&M overpowered the Bears in the bottom of the fourth with 10 runs on nine hits. Thurston was knocked out of the game in the inning after giving up three more runs. Freshman Lindsay Holloway relieved Thurston but could not stop the bleeding, surrendering five runs to bring the score to 18-0.

UNC did not go quietly in the top of the fifth, after they loaded the bases with a pair of walks from Kenzie Kudrna and Cheyenne Talmadge, and Alyssa Huerta reached on a fielder's choice. Taylor Libby launched a two-run double down the third base line.

The Bears were in two deep of a hole and Texas A&M closed out the game in the fifth for the 18-2 win. Thurston was tagged with the loss after giving up 11 runs in 3.2 innings pitched. Poynter picked up the win with four innings of work and no earned runs.

Game Notes

Taylor Libby had her first hit in a Bear uniform with a double that drove in the Bears only two runs on the day.
Kenzie Kudrna went two-for-four with one run scored and two walks on Friday.
Cheyenne Talmadge went one-for-three with two walks.

Up Next
Northern Colorado will be back on the field tomorrow morning against California Baptist at 9 am (MST). The Bears will take on Texas A&M immediately following the game at 11:15 am.