DENTON, Texas (4/6/12) - A seven-run fourth inning propelled the North Texas softball team to a 9-1 victory and a conference series win against Florida Atlantic on Saturday afternoon at Lovelace Stadium.

The Mean Green improves to 17-18-1 and 8-6-1 in the Sun Belt, while the Owls stand at 12-27 overall and 2-8 in the conference. North Texas captured the season series with two wins this weekend and has now secured three conference series victories this season. NT is now 9-11 overall against the Owls.

Ashley Kirk (5-8) followed up her shutout performance on Friday with another stellar outing. She pitched five innings and gave up one run off four hits. She struck out five batters and did not walk a single batter for the second straight game.

For the second straight outing, North Texas took an early lead in the first inning and held it for the entire game. A big fourth inning secured another run-rule victory for the Mean Green.

Caitlin Grimes led off the fourth inning with a walk. Ashley McCarroll followed with a single, and Lesley Hirsch plated the first run of the inning with an RBI single. Megan Rupp cleared the bases with a triple off the wall. It was her second triple of the season. The senior went 2-for-3 today with two runs scored and two RBI.

Rupp scored the fourth run of the inning off an Owls error that allowed Brooke Foster to reach base, and Lisa Johnson kept the inning alive with a walk. Maddelyn Fraley cleared the bases again with a three-run homer that sealed the run-rule victory. It was her ninth home run of the season, tying Grimes for the team lead.

Rupp led off the game with a single to the pitcher. She later scored from second off a double by Johnson to give North Texas an early lead. Fraley added to the lead with a second Mean Green RBI double. Johnson leads the team with eight doubles.

FAU's only run of the game came in the second inning when Jordan Stovall led off with a solo home run.

With its three walks today, the North Texas softball team set a school record with 147 walks. The 2010 team held the previous record of 145. Johnson needs just two more walks to break her own single-season record of 29. She holds the single-season and career walks record.

North Texas returns to action on Wednesday, April 11 when it faces Texas State with a doubleheader at home at 3 p.m.