University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Florida State
Carolina Splits Doubleheader With FSU
April 28, 2007 | Softball
April 28, 2007
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. --- Emily Troup hit a two-out, tiebreaking single that scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning of game one to lead North Carolina to a 4-3 win over Florida State, but in game two, the Seminoles staged a three-run rally in the top of the seventh to earn the doubleheader split, winning 3-2. In between the two games, eight former Carolina softball greats were honored in a ceremony on the infield as part of UNC's All-America/Olympian reunion.
With the split, UNC now sits at 43-16 on the season and 11-8 in Atlantic Coast Conference play, while Florida State is 37-20 and 12-7 in the league. Game three tomorrow between the two teams will be a battle for fourth place in the regular season conference standings.
Senior shortstop Anna Evans reached a notable milestone in game two, becoming UNC's all time leader in games started with her 245th career start. She broke the mark held previously by Dionne Streete, who played at Carolina from 2001-04. Evans' walk in the nightcap also gave her 83 career free passes, one short of the school record.
In the game one victory, Casey Testa reached base on an error by Florida State shortstop Yuruby Alicart to lead off the bottom of the second, and some speed from UNC pinch-runner Christine Knauer paid immediate dividends as the Tar Heels pushed an early run across in the frame to take a 1-0 lead. Knauer reached second on a passed ball and took third on an Anna Roberts groundout before Lisa Norris helped her own cause with a deep fly ball to right field that gave her an RBI and scored Knauer.
Florida state second baseman Veronica Wootson made sure the Tar Heel lead didn't last long, depositing the first pitch of the third inning over the fence in left center to tie the game 1-1.
The Seminoles added a run in the fourth to grab their first lead of the game as Brittany Osman hit a one-out double to right field and came around to score when Robin Ahrberg hit a screamer down the first base line to make it back-to-back two-baggers for FSU. UNC's defense came up with a big play to pick off the lead runner and Norris settled down to get out of the inning, but it went to the bottom half with Carolina trailing 2-1.
The Carolina offense remained quiet until the home half of the sixth, when back-to-back singles from Cassie Palmer and Jennifer Jacobs to start the inning gave UNC runners at first and second on just the third and fourth hits of the day for the Tar Heels. Alicart committed her second error of the game to again allow Testa to reach safely, juicing the bases for UNC with no outs. Roberts followed with her second hit of the day, a fly ball that found a way to drop in right center, and Palmer scored to make the game 2-2. A double play threatened to end the Carolina scoring in the frame, but pinch-hitter Emily Troup came up with a big two-out single to score two more Tar Heels, and UNC used the four-hit, three-run inning to take a 4-2 advantage to the seventh.
Danielle Spaulding, who had come on in relief of Norris with two outs in the sixth, picked up two quick outs in the seventh before Alicart made some atonement for her two key errors, lining a solo shot to dead center to cut the Seminole deficit to one. A walk put the tying run on for FSU, but Spaulding struck out Brittany Osmon to end the game.
The win was Spaulding's sixth of the season, while FSU starter Tiffany McDonald fell to 13-12 despite not allowing an earned run in her seven innings of work. Norris' line showed two runs on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings as she didn't factor in the decision.
Game two saw Carolina jump on the scoreboard with two outs in the bottom of the first as Cassie Palmer sent a pitch over the fence in left center to stake the Tar Heels to the 1-0 advantage after one.
Neither team mustered much of an offensive threat until Carolina managed to put two runners on with two out in the bottom of the fifth. Jacobs sent a line drive to the gap in right center, but Seminole centerfielder Carly Wynn laid out to make an incredible diving catch, robbing UNC of at least one run and keeping the Tar Heel lead at one.
Carolina had two runners in scoring position with two out in its half of the sixth when FSU decided to intentionally walk Norris, who had entered to pinch-hit, loading the bases for the Tar Heels. The move backfired when Breanna Brown lined a pitch to right field to score a run, making the score 2-0. Florida State did get out of the inning without further damage as UNC left its seventh, eighth, and ninth runners on for the game, but the added run meant the Seminoles faced a two-run hole heading into their last at-bat.
The Tar Heels recorded one quick out to start the inning, but after that, Carolina starter Amber Johnson ran into some trouble in a hurry. An FSU base hit brought the tying run to the plate in the form of Alicart, who collected her second round-tripper of the day with a two-run bomb that cleared the center field fence to tie the game. One out later, the Seminoles took the lead, using a home run to right field from Osmon, who had been hitless previously on the day. Florida State almost added another run in the frame, but Brown picked up her second outfield assist on the day, throwing out a Seminole trying to score from second at the plate to send it to the bottom half.
Melissa May came on to pitch the seventh for FSU, and after one quick out, she walked Jacobs to put the tying run on for UNC. One out later a wild pitch moved pinch-runner Ashley Oxendine into scoring position for the Tar Heels, but May induced a ground out to end Carolina's chances.
Johnson picked up the loss for UNC, falling to 14-5 on the season. Terese Gober (11-4) earned the win for FSU, while Melissa May picked up her first save of the season.
The series will resume tomorrow when the Seminoles and Tar Heels face off in a Sunday 1 p.m. matchup. It will be Senior Day for Carolina's six-member class of 2007.
