Tompkins Hits Grand Slam in Sweep of North Texas

Sunday, April 18

Denton, Texas

1:00 PM

Middle Tennessee

North Texas

4/18/2004 6:11:00 PM | Softball

By: MT Media Relations

DENTON, TX. - Katie Tompkins hit a grand slam in route to Middle Tennessee's (24-14, 6-2 Sun Belt) 16-2, 11-1 routing of North Texas (16-45, 1-7 Sun Belt) Sunday at Denia Park. Middle Tennessee had three homeruns in the first game to help the Lady Raiders explode for 16 runs on 12 hits and defeat North Texas 16-2. Melissa Weiland matched her season homerun total with two homers in the game and now has four homeruns for the year. Katie Tompkins hit a grand slam in the top of the fourth inning as the Lady Raiders had 12 runs on eight hits and was aided by three Mean Green errors to put the game away. North Texas jumped out to an early 2-0 lead when hurler Brittany Herald gave up a lead off single to Katy Maxey and then hit Stephanie Cranmer to place runners at first and second. Mandy Hacker's 2 RBI single gave the Mean Green the advantage until the top of the third when Middle Tennessee struck back. The Lady Raiders tied the game off an RBI single by Herald which sent home Muriel Ledbetter who drew a lead off double to start the game. After Cortney Mitchell singled, Angie Huebner's sacrifice fly sent Mitchell home to tie the game. Herald took the win in game one and improved to 3-1 on the season. She allowed two runs on four hits and struck out three in five innings of work, as the game was called due to the run rule. Mitchell's two run homer to start the second game helped the Lady Raiders jump out to an early 2-0 lead. It was Mitchell's 10th homerun of the year, which breaks the school record for homeruns in a season. Middle Tennessee had a big fifth inning with five runs on five hits. Herald started the scoring frenzy with a two RBI double, her second double of the game. Leah Grothause knocked in a run with an RBI single and then pinch hitter Liz Davis sent in the fourth and fifth runs of the inning off a double to center. Hurler Crystal Bobo's bid for a shutout was blown by a homerun shot over the centerfield wall by Mean Green's Kelly Waters in the bottom of the fifth. The top of the sixth was another big inning for the Lady Raiders as they put together five runs on four hits. Grothause got it started with an RBI triple and Davis picked up her second hit of the game and her third RBI with a single and Weiland round out the runs on a two RBI single. Bobo improved to 11-10 on the year as she went 6.2 innings allowing one run on four hits and striking out five. Ashley Frizzell recorded the last out of the game as she came relef after Bobo had to leave because she took a ball to the face. Middle Tennessee returns home on Thursday to host Birmingham Southern for their first home game since March 4. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. at Lady Raider Field.