University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Maryland
No. 24 Carolina Tops Maryland, 5-0
March 25, 2006 | Softball
March 25, 2006
CHAPEL HILL --- Sophomore Cassie Palmer was 2 for 3 with three runs batted in as the No. 24 North Carolina softball team defeated visiting Maryland Saturday afternoon, 5-0, in the first game of an Atlantic Coast Conference doubleheader. Game two was halted in the middle of the first inning due to rain and will resume Sunday at 1 p.m. with the regularly-scheduled final game of the series to follow.
Carolina (27-9, 3-1 ACC) used the long ball to take the early momentum in the bottom of the first. Palmer led off with her fourth home run of the season, and sophomore Casey Testa added her fourth of the year just two batters later to make it 2-0.
Maryland (13-14, 0-4 ACC) would not threaten until the fourth, when the Terrapins loaded the bases with two outs. After two quick outs, Lindsay Klein and Lindsey Ubrun put together back-to-back singles. Carolina starter Crystal Cox (12-5) then hit Amanda D'Attilio with the first pitch to fill the bases for Abbey Welch. But the Harrisburg, N.C., senior got Welch to fly softly to left to end the rally.
The Tar Heels would add three runs in the bottom of the fourth to put the game out of reach. Junior shortstop Anna Evans started with a one-out single and stole second. After a strikeout, freshman Lisa Norris ripped her second double of the afternoon to score Evans. Freshman third baseman Alyssa Francona was then hit by a pitch, and junior catcher Theresa Nicholas singled to load the bases for Palmer. The Weddington, N.C., product blooped a single to left center, scoring Norris and Francona to extend the lead to 5-0.
Cox would allow just a two-out single and a walk over the final three innings to secure the win. With seven more shutout innings, Cox lowered her ERA to a league-leading 0.63.
