University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Coastal Carolina
Tar Heels Win 2003 Hokie Softball Fastpitch Club Classic
March 15, 2003 | Softball
March 15, 2003
SALEM, Va. - The University of North Carolina softball team grabbed its longest winning-streak of the season at eight games with wins over Coastal Carolina, 7-0, and Virginia Tech, 4-3, today at the James Moyer Sports Complex to claim the Hokie Invitational title. The Tar Heels used the fifth inning in both games to take two today scoring five runs against the Chantacleers and four against the Hokies to secure the championship. UNC improves to 18-13 overall, while Coastal Carolina falls to 16-8 and Virginia Tech moves to 5-14.
Freshman pitcher Crystal Cox (Harrisburg, N.C.) threw six scoreless innings in the opener, allowing just one hit and struck out six Lady Chants. Cox improves to 10-6 on the season.
The Tar Heels jumped in front of Coastal Carolina in the third inning using six consecutive hits scoring five runs to lead 5-0. Tiffany Tolleson (Winter Haven, Fla.) got the inning started with a single and stole second base. Freshman Megan Welch (Anaheim Hills, Calif.) followed with a single to score the first run of the game. Senior Quinn Porter (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) then singled to center field to score Welch and freshman Jaclyn Holden (Santa Clarita, Calif.) hit a double to make the score 3-0.
Junior Emily Price (Decatur, Ill.) doubled to center and Dionne Streete (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) tripled to give UNC a five-run advantage. The Tar Heels added two more runs in the fifth inning after two more doubles by Price and Streete for the final runs of the game.
Price, Streete and Welch led the Tar Heels offensively. Price ended the game 2-for-4, with two doubles and one RBI. Streete had a triple and a double with two RBIs, ending the game 2-for-3. Welch finished 2-for-4 with one RBI for Carolina.
Carolina scored seven runs, on 10 hits and two errors, while Coastal Carolina had no runs, on three hits and two errors.
In the nightcap versus Virginia Tech, the Tar Heels put runners at second and third with one out in the second inning but were turned away as the game headed to the third inning scoreless. Carolina's Welch drove in the game's first two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning with a double to right center and Holden followed with another two-run double to right center as the Heels led 4-0.
Virginia Tech's Kelly Brown broke up freshman Alison Yin's (Glendale, Calif.) no-hitter in the sixth inning with a single to left field. Yin completed the inning with three straight outs as the Tar Heels took a 4-0 lead into the seventh inning.
The Hokies started the seventh with three straight hits to pose their first threat of the ballgame. Yin got the next hitter to pop out to first base for the first out of the inning. VT's Heather Todd doubled to center field to cut the Tar Heel lead to two, 4-2. Cox entered the game for UNC with runners on second and third with one out.
Cox induced a fly out to left field for the second out of the inning. The next hitter for the Hokies reached on an error to push across another run as the Tar Heels led by one, 4-3. Cox got the final out with a pop out to first to pick up her first save as the Heels held on by a final of 4-3.
Yin threw 6.1 innings, surrendering five hits, while striking out four. She improves to 8-3.
Welch and Holden each had a double and two RBIs to supply the offense for UNC against the Hokies.
Carolina scored four runs, on six hits and two errors, while Virginia Tech scored three runs, on five hits and one error.
North Carolina wrapped up the tournament championship as the Tar Heels stand at 4-0. Coastal Carolina is 3-1, while Texas Tech stands at 2-2 and the Hokies are 1-3. St. Bonaventure is 0-4. UNC and the Bonnies will face one another in the final game of the tournament at 2 p.m. tomorrow.
