University of North Carolina Athletics
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Florida
No. 22 Carolina Suffers Season-Ending Loss To Florida, 1-0
May 20, 2006 | Softball
May 20, 2006
GAINESVILLE, Fla. --- Crystal Cox became just the 18th woman in NCAA history to reach 1,200 career strikeouts, but an unearned run in the bottom of the eighth inning pushed Florida past No. 22 North Carolina, 1-0, Saturday afternoon in an NCAA Regional elimination game. With the loss, Carolina ends its season with a record of 48-19.
As has been the case so many times in her career, Cox (27-10) found herself in a low-scoring pitcher's duel. Florida (43-24) threatened to score in the first when Cox loaded the bases on three straight walks, but the Harrisburg, N.C., senior got a force out to leave the bases full.
After Florida starter Stacey Nelson (14-12) retired the first nine Tar Heels in order, Cassie Palmer recorded UNC's first hit in the fourth. But Carolina was unable to execute, as Palmer was thrown at a second on a failed sacrifice bunt attempt by Breanna Brown, and Brown was caught stealing one batter later.
Carolina best chance to break the scoreless tie came in the seventh. After a one-out single by Casey Testa, Jennifer Jacobs reached on an infield single to put two on. Alyssa Francona then grounded out, advancing the runners, but Lisa Norris popped the first pitch she saw to short to end the threat.
It looked as though the Gators would win it in the seventh, when Lacy Howard doubled to deep left center to lead off the frame. After a sacrifice moved Howard to third, Cox came through with a strikeout and a fly out to send the game to extra innings.
After the Tar Heels went in order in the top half of the eighth, Florida's Stacie Pestrak reached on a leadoff walk in the bottom half. A failed two-strike bunt resulted in a strikeout for the first out of the inning, but that would be the last one recorded by UNC. Kristen Butler, UF's leading hitter, laid down a sacrifice bunt that was thrown wild of first by Joslin Higgins. Pestrak was then able to score from first, ending the game and the season for Carolina.
The loss was just the fifth on the road for the Tar Heels, who led the nation with 21 road wins. This year marks the first time in five NCAA trips that Carolina has failed to win a game in regional play.
