University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Texas Tech
Carolina Takes Two At Spring Fling Invitational
March 15, 2008 | Softball
March 15, 2008
HONOLULU, Hawai'i - North Carolina improved to 23-6 on the year as the Tar Heels posted a pair of impressive wins over Texas Tech and No. 16 Hawai'i on Friday. A 6-0 win over Texas Tech opened the day before the Tar Heels claimed a 5-1 win over the host Rainbow Wahine in the nightcap. Carolina will take on the winner of Texas Tech and Maine at 12 p.m. (HT) on Saturday.
Carolina opened the day with an impressive 6-0 win over Texas Tech as Lisa Norris improved to 8-3 on the year with the win. The Tar Heels put a two-spot on the board in the bottom of the first using back-to-back singles by Breanna Brown and Ashley Oxendine to get things going. Following a strike out, Jennifer Jacobs would load the bases when she hit a ball to the third baseman who tried to force out Brown at third but was unsuccessful giving Carolina an early opportunity. A hard fought at bat by Danielle Spaulding resulted in a two-run double to left center that gave the Tar Heels the lead.
A solo home run by Bree Ensminger, the first of her career, and an RBI single from Cassie Palmer made the score 4-0 after just two innings of play. Carolina was held scoreless in the third but made up for it in the fourth taking advantage of a Red Raider error to score two more runs and take a 6-0 lead.
Lisa Norris allowed a leadoff single before sitting down the next 10 batters she faced, including four by way of strikeout. Norris earned her team-best eighth win as she went the distance allowing just four hits. Breanna Brown and Ashley Oxendine set the table all day long for Carolina as the pair both scored two runs in the game. Oxendine also led the Tar Heels with three hits, while Spaulding tallied a team-high two RBIs.
The Tar Heel bats kept producing runs in the second game of the day against No. 16 Hawai'i as Carolina scored four runs in the opening three innings. Emily Troup drew a one out walk before she was replaced on the base paths by speedster Christine Knauer. A grounder back to the pitcher would move Knauer up to second base before Whitney Allen made the game 1-0 when she drove a pitch back up to score Knauer from second.
A two-out rally in the third helped Carolina take a 4-0 advantage as the Tar Heels pushed across three runs in the third inning. Jennifer Jacobs got things going when she dropped a single between the right fielder and the second baseman. Starting pitcher Danielle Spaulding would help herself out as she drove a pitch to the right center gap that reached the fence for an RBI double. A single back up the middle by Troup put runners on second and third for Brittany McKinney. The freshman backstop continued her hot hitting in Hawai'i by lacing a double over the right fielder's head to score both Jacobs and Troup and give Spaulding a 4-0 lead to work with.
The sophomore left-hander was in control throughout the night as she allowed just two hits in seven innings of work. Spaulding struck out nine in her seven innings of work, allowing just one run.
Carolina would add an insurance run in the sixth inning as Whitney Allen tallied her team-high second hit of the game. Dani Manko would replace Allen at first. Head coach Donna J. Papa signaled for Alyssa Francona to lay down a sacrifice bunt and she was up to the task laying down a perfect bunt to move Manko to second. The freshman attempted to catch the Rainbow Wahine off guard and darted for third forcing a bad throw allowing Manko to score and give Carolina the 5-1 win.
The No.1-seeded Tar Heels will have to wait to see who their opponent is on Saturday as they will take on the winner of Texas Tech and Maine at 12 p.m. (HT).
