University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Florida State
UNC Falls To FSU In First Game Of ACC Tournament, 8-0
May 10, 2007 | Softball
May 10, 2007
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida State pitcher Tiffany McDonald held North Carolina to just one hit as the Seminoles used a big fourth inning to stretch a close game open in taking an 8-0 run-rule victory over the Tar Heels in a first-round Atlantic Coast Conference tournament game Thursday evening at JoAnne Graf Field.
Florida State (43-21) grabbed the lead right from the start, plating a run in the bottom half of the first inning for a 1-0 advantage. Two walks - including one to open the inning - came back to haunt the Tar Heels (43-18) in the frame, as a Yuruby Alicart single through the left side brought leadoff hitter Veronica Wootson around from second to score.
The game remained tight until the Seminoles struck again in the bottom of the fourth to the tune of six runs on five hits to break the game open. Again a leadoff walk proved costly as Brittany Osmon advanced to second on a groundout and came home on a double to the gap in right center. The floodgates opened as FSU added a pair of two-run home runs in the frame, pushing their advantage to seven in the process.
A leadoff triple in the bottom of the fifth was converted into the clinching run courtesy of a sacrifice fly to centerfield, and the game ended after five innings.
McDonald moved her record to 16-13 with the win, while Lisa Norris took the loss for Carolina, dropping to 23-12 on the season.
UNC's lone hit was Cassie Palmer's two-out triple in the first.
The Tar Heels will now fall to the loser's bracket in the double-elimination tournament, where they will face eighth-seeded Virginia in a 10 a.m. Friday matchup.
