University of North Carolina Athletics
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UNC Greensboro
No. 22 Carolina Rolls Past UNCG
April 11, 2006 | Softball
April 11, 2006
GREENSBORO, N.C. --- Senior Crystal Cox had a career-high 16 strikeouts en route to her 14th consecutive win as the No. 22 North Carolina softball team swept UNC Greensboro, 6-0 and 11-0, Wednesday at UNCG Softball Stadium. Alyssa Francona drove in three runs in game one and Amber Johnson tossed a five-inning one-hitter in the nightcap.
Carolina (39-11) got on the board in the second inning of game one thanks to an unearned run. Anna Evans reached on a one-out walk and moved to third when Hannah Angel's throw to second was mishandled by Adriane Audley. Francona then jumped on the first pitch for a sacrifice fly to right, giving the Tar Heels a 1-0 lead.
UNC added another run in the third on a Casey Testa RBI single. After a fly-out to lead off the frame, the top of the Tar Heel order strung together three straight singles, highlighted by Testa's run-scoring safety. Carolina had a chance to blow the game open, but Jennifer Jacobs grounded out and Evans struck out looking to strand a pair of runners.
Another UNCG error in the fourth made it 3-0. Breanna Brown led off with a single, stole second and advanced to third on a dropped third strike. With two outs, Erin Dudley grounded slowly to second, but Stephanie Talarek short-hopped the first baseman to allow Dudley to reach and Brown to score an unearned run.
Four walks in the fifth finally allowed Carolina to pull away. Testa, Jacobs and Brown walked to load the bases with one out for Francona. The Chestnut Hill, Mass., freshman blooped a singled just inside the line in left to score a pair and make it 5-0. Brown would later score on a wild pitch for the sixth run of the game.
Cox (21-5) had no trouble controlling the game from the circle. She allowed just a pair of doubles and a walk through seven innings and struck out nine straight batters at one point.
Game two was shaping up to be a pitcher's duel through three innings before Carolina sent 15 batters to the plate in the top of the fourth. The frame featured just four hits, as two Spartan errors led to all 11 runs in the frame being unearned. UNCG starter Vanessa Oakes (9-9) walked four batters and hit three more before yielding to reliever Danielle Byrne. Byrne surrendered the big blows of the inning, a two-run bases-loaded double by Evans and a two-run single by Brown.
Those would be the only runs scored in the game, as the only drama after the fourth was a potential no-hitter for Johnson (7-2). With two outs in the fifth, Kara Clouser ripped a solid single up the middle to deny Johnson her career no-hitter. The Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., freshman struck out nine Spartans and needed just 66 pitches to finish the job.
With the two losses, UNCG fell to 16-25 on the season.
Carolina returns to action tomorrow with a single game against East Carolina. First pitch at Anderson Stadium is set for 5 p.m.
