University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Radford
Carolina Upsets No. 9/10 Georgia 2-1 In Extra Innings
April 19, 2003 | Softball
April 19, 2003
ATHENS, Ga. - The University of North Carolina softball team upset the ninth-ranked Georgia Bulldogs, 2-1 in eight innings to claim the top seed as the tournament heads to bracket play at the Women's Athletic Complex. UNC senior Quinn Porter (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) hit a game-winning two-run homer with two outs to give the Tar Heels the one-run win. Freshman pitcher Crystal Cox (Harrisburg, N.C.) held the Bulldogs scoreless through seven innings and allowed one run, no earned, while striking out three to move to 22-8. UNC improves to 35-16-1, while UGA falls to 45-9.
Carolina put runners on the corners in the bottom of the first inning as freshman Megan Welch (Anaheim Hills, Calif.) walked and Jaclyn Holden (Santa Clarita, Calif.) singled to right field. Georgia tallied a strikeout to end the first scoreless.
The Bulldogs threatened for the first time in the game in the top of the fourth inning putting runners on first and third with two outs. UNC's Cox shut the door with a pop out to end UGA's end of the fourth.
Welch slugged a double to the left field fence to give the Tar Heels their second scoring threat of the game. The Bulldogs intentionally walked Holden with two outs to put runners on first and second. UGA tallied a strikeout to end the UNC threat and head to the seventh scoreless.
UGA's Shannon McKeon hit a double to the fence in right center to give the Bulldogs a runner in scoring postion in the seventh. CMKeon moved over to third base after a sacrifice and Cox quieted the 'Dogs with a ground out to short as the Heels came to bat in the bottom of the inning with a chance to knock off the ninth-ranked Bulldogs.
Sophomore Ashley Allen (Houston, Texas) gave UNC a runner in the bottom of the seventh, but UGA recorded two pop outs as the game headed to extra innings.
The game used the international tiebreaker rule and UGA put a runner on second. Nicole Barber drove in the game's first run with a single to center field as UNC trailed 1-0 heading to the bottom of the eighth.
Carolina was unable to get the bunt down and flew out to left field for the first out of the eighth. The next UNC hitter struck out and the fate of the Heels rested on their final out. UNC senior Quinn Porter (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) delivered for the Tar Heels with a blast over the trees in right field and UNC upended No. 9/10 Georgia 2-1 (8).
Carolina will face Radford in the #1 vs. #4 game this afternoon at 5 p.m.
