University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Seton Hall
Tar Heels Advance In NCAA Tournament Play
May 21, 2005 | Softball
May 21, 2005
ANN ARBOR, Mich - Sophomore catcher Whitney Gelin singled to center and pinch runner Ashley Oxendine scored when the fielder misplayed the ball to give UNC a 2-1 win over Seton Hall in nine innings Saturday in NCAA Tournament softball play. With the win, UNC (38-28) advanced to face top-ranked Michigan Sunday at 1 p.m.
UNC's two wins in this year's tournament are the most in program history. The team had made three previous appearances and gone 1-2 each time.
The Tar Heels, coming out of the losers' bracket, would have to beat Michigan (57-4) twice Sunday to win the region title and advance to the super regional. The teams met earlier this season, with the Wolverines winning 5-0 at the Kia Klassic in Fullerton, Calif., on March 18.
After losing to Seton Hall Friday in the NCAA opener, Carolina beat Canisius 3-0 Saturday afternoon on a Crystal Cox no-hitter to earn another shot at the Pirates. The game was the third time that UNC and Seton Hall have met in NCAA play and for the third time the game went into extra innings. UNC was eliminated from the 2004 NCAA Tournament with a 1-0, 12-inning loss to the Pirates. Friday's loss was 1-0 in eight innings. Saturday, the game was tied at 1-1 through seven, sending the teams into extra frames again.
UNC scored its first run in the bottom of the third when Joslin Higgins singled to left with one out. After another Tar Heel out, Marissa May, who was 3-for-4 on the day, reached on a bunt single, putting Higgins on second. Freshman Cassie Palmer then singled to right to score Higgins and put the Tar Heels ahead.
Senior Ashley Allen started the game on the mound for UNC, making her first appearance of the tournament. She didn't give up a hit until the fourth inning and held the Pirates scoreless until Laura Taylor sent the first pitch of the sixth inning over the left field fence. Taylor's home run was the only one of the game for Seton Hall, which stranded 16 runners over the nine innings and loaded the bases in four of the final five innings.
After Allen gave up six hits in five and two-thirds innings, junior Alison Yin replaced her with runners on second and third. Yin got out of the inning and pitched one more, allowing two runs, before Cox replaced her for the final two innings to earn the win and improve to 22-19 on the season.
