University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Texas Tech
Tar Heels Named Co-Champions At Spring Fling Invite
March 16, 2008 | Softball
March 16, 2008
HONOLULU, Hawai'i - Carolina went 1-0-1 on the final day of the Hawai'i Spring Fling Invitational en route to being named the co-champions along with Texas. The Tar Heels opened the day with a 4-2 win over Texas Tech to advance to the championship game. There was a drop-deadline placed on the championship game, due to travel conflicts with Texas, before the Tar Heels and Longhorns battled to a 1-1 tie as both were named the Spring Fling Co-Champions. Junior Lisa Norris was named the Most Valuable Pitcher of the tournament.
Carolina used a big third inning to claim a 4-2 victory over Texas Tech on Saturday to help the Tar Heels advance to the Spring Fling Invitational Championship. Amber Johnson picked up the win for the Tar Heels as she allowed just one earned run in five innings of work before Danielle Spaulding came on to pick up the save.
Texas Tech took the early lead pushing across a run in the bottom of the first by taking advantage of a leadoff walk after Carolina stranded a pair of runners in the top half. The Tar Heels got things going in the third however, as Breanna Brown led off with a walk before Ashley Oxendine was hit by a pitch. Following a failed pickoff attempt by the catcher, Brown and Oxendine both moved into scoring position. Cassie Palmer then delivered an RBI single to tie the game. The tie would not last long as Jennifer Jacobs connected on her team-high sixth home run of the season. The shot to left center put Carolina up 4-1 in the early going.
The Tar Heels would threaten in the final four innings but were never able to push another run across as they would strand 11 runners in the game. The Red Raiders would tack on another run in the fifth taking advantage of a Carolina error in the process. Spaulding would enter the game in the sixth looking to close the door and that is exactly what she did as she threw two innings of hitless ball.
Carolina would be pitted against another Big 12 foe in the championship game in the form of the Texas Longhorns. A pitcher's duel would ensue with Lisa Norris taking the circle for Carolina. The first three innings would see the teams scratch out just one hit apiece.
The Tar Heels were able to get on the board in the fourth as Danielle Spaulding started a one out rally with a single. Dani Manko would come on for Spaulding to add some speed to the base paths and Manko did just that. The freshman swiped second and moved to third on a wild pitch before a hit by pitch put runners on the corners for Whitney Allen. The junior outfielder delivered a single back up the middle that scored the go-ahead run.
The single run would not stand as Texas, with their backs against the wall of a time deadline, put together a rally in the top of the seventh. Texas started the inning with a bunt single before a sacrifice moved Gaskin to second base with one out. Tallie Thrasher would line out to right field for the second out of the inning before Brittany Barnhill avoided the loss by dropping an RBI single into right center to tie the game. Cassie Palmer led off the bottom of the seventh with a single up the middle but was unable to score as the game ended in a tie, the first for Carolina since 2003.
Lisa Norris was named the Most Valuable Pitcher of the tournament as she posted two wins during the week. Joining Norris on the all-tournament team were Cassie Palmer, Jennifer Jacobs, Breanna Brown, Danielle Spaulding and Amber Johnson.
