University of North Carolina Athletics
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UNCG
Carolina Takes Two From UNC Greensboro
March 5, 2008 | Softball
March 5, 2008
Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score
GREENSBORO, N.C. - The North Carolina softball team swept a midweek doubleheader at UNC Greensboro with a 4-0 and 3-1 win. Lisa Norris picked up a win and a save in the twinbill as Carolina improved to 17-6 on the year and UNCG dropped to 9-13. The Tar Heels will be in action this weekend when they host the Tar Heel Invitational Friday through Sunday at the Anderson Softball Complex.
The Tar Heels started the game by loading the bases in the top of the first with a two-out rally as Emily Troup and Jennifer Jacobs both drew walks and Lisa Norris singled. A pop out to the first baseman in foul territory would end the threat and leave all three runners on base. Norris would take the circle in the bottom half and opened an impressive start by striking out three of the four batters she faced in the inning.
Carolina would get on the board in the top half of the second when Alyssa Francona drilled a shot to deep left that cleared the fence for her third home run of the year. The homer was a two-run shot as Brittany McKinney took a pitch off her arm to put a runner on for Francona. The Tar Heels would push across another pair of runs in the top of the third inning as Lisa Norris led off by drawing a walk and was replaced on the base paths by pinch runner Ashley Oxendine. Back-to-back sacrifice bunts from Anna Roberts and Sam Ingersoll moved Oxendine to third. Roberts was able to reach on her sacrifice attempt when Oxendine beat the throw to second. Freshman Brittany McKinney would clear the bases as she laced a single down the left field line that scored Oxendine and Roberts to up the score to 4-0.
Norris was nearly flawless through the first four innings only allowing a walk in the opening frame. Breanna Brown came up with a huge sliding catch for Norris in the bottom of the fourth on a ball looked like it would drop in to break up the no-hitter. Brown charged in from her centerfield position and snagged the ball just before it hit the ground. UNC Greensboro would break up the no-no in the fifth with a double to left field before Norris picked up her 10th strikeout of the game before forcing a pop out to end the inning. Amber Johnson came on in the sixth inning to shut down the Spartans in the final two innings to give Carolina the 4-0 win.
Game two was a pitcher's duel from the start as neither team was able to push across a run until the fifth inning. Breanna Brown led off the game with a bloop single over the third baseman's head and then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Cassie Palmer. A ground out and pop out would end the threat and keep the Tar Heels off the scoreboard. Brown would change that in the fifth when she doubled to left center with one out. Jennifer Jacobs followed with a single that dropped into right center that scored the speedster to give Carolina a 1-0 lead. Freshman Faith Sutton started in the circle for Carolina and delivered four and a third innings of scoreless work before she left in the bottom of the fifth in favor of game one starter Lisa Norris. Sutton's final line was 4.1 innings with five strikeouts and one walk as she earned her fourth win of the year.
Carolina tacked on two more runs in the top of the sixth when Bree Ensminger picked up a two-out double down the left field line and scored when SS Sam Ingersoll went the other way for an RBI single that dropped in fair territory in right field. Brittany McKinney followed with a double to right center to put the Tar Heels up 3-0. Breanna Brown and Brittany McKinney paced the Tar Heels at the plate as
Brown connected on four hits and McKinney drove in three runs on the afternoon. Norris' save in game two was the fifth of her career as she moved into second on the all-time list in Carolina history.
The Tar Heels will now host the Tar Heel Invitational from Friday until Sunday, which will feature James Madison, USC Upstate, Princeton and Lafayette.
