North Carolina
UNC Greensboro
Tar Heel Softball Splits At UNCG
April 30, 2002 | Softball
April 30, 2002
GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Freshman pitcher Brandi Griffin threw the first no-hitter of her collegiate career and UNC's first in two seasons Tuesday as the University of North Carolina softball team split a doubleheader at UNC Greensboro. The Tar Heels fell 1-0 in the first game, after the Spartans scored a run in the bottom of the seventh, and won 2-0 in the second. The games closed out the regular season for UNC (31-28), which now looks ahead to the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament May 10-12 in Tallahassee, Fla.
In the first game, UNC pitcher Shannon Walsh took a perfect game into the sixth inning, when she gave up a walk. The Spartans' only hit came in the bottom of the seventh, a two-out RBI single by Christine Sweeney. Andrea Harrison reached on a throwing error and Penny Thompson was intentionally walked to place runners on first and second. After a passed ball moved them to second and third, Sweeney put the ball into shallow left field for the win.
North Carolina's best chance to score came in the top of the fifth, as a single, an error, and a single loaded the bases for the Tar Heels with one out. But the next two batters popped up to second and flied out to centerfield to end the inning.
Walsh fell to 12-14 with the loss, despite giving up only one unearned run on one hit, while striking out eight.
In the second game, North Carolina scored both runs in the fourth inning. Quinn Porter singled up the middle, and moved to second on Natalie Anter's single to centerfield. Kelly Ramsey then followed with a two-run double to right field, plating both Porter and Anter for a 2-0 Tar Heel advantage.
Griffin moved to 3-2 on the year with the win for North Carolina, as she struck out five and walked just one batter. The no-hitter was the seventh in UNC history and Carolina's first since April 5, 2000, when Radara McHugh no-hit UNC Charlotte in a five-inning 8-0 win. Jessica Vanderploeg took the loss for UNCG, giving up two runs on eight hits. Porter, Anter, and Jessica Young were all 2-for-3 to lead the Tar Heels at the plate.
Game 1: UNCG 1, North Carolina 0
UNC 000 000 0 -- 0 5 1
UNCG 000 000 1 -- 1 1 3
Win: Maureen Flynn (3-1); Loss: Shannon Walsh (12-14)
Game 2: North Carolina 2, UNCG 0
UNC 000 200 0 -- 2 8 2
UNCG 000 000 0 -- 0 0 1
Win: Brandi Griffin (3-2); Loss: Jessica Vanderploeg (10-7)
