University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Lafayette
Carolina Takes Down Lafayette 12-0
March 8, 2008 | Softball
March 8, 2008
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The Carolina bats came to life on Saturday as they pounded out 12 runs on 14 hits en route to a 12-0 five inning win against Lafayette in the Tar Heel Invitational. Junior Amber Johnson struck out a career-high 13 in the win. Carolina will take on James Madison at 3:30 p.m. in its second and final game of the rain shortened tournament.
Breanna Brown led off the top of the first by beating out a grounder to shortstop for a single and then moved to third when Ashley Oxendine dropped down a sacrifice bunt and reached on a dropped throw. Oxendine stole second to put a pair of runners in scoring position before a walk was issued to Jennifer Jacobs to load the bases. Emily Troup would force out Brown at the plate as she reached on a fielder's choice, but Cassie Palmer would put the Tar Heels ahead early when she drove a pitch back up the middle to score both Oxendine and Jacobs. Palmer and Troup would not last long on the base paths when Danielle Spaulding connected on her third home run of the year, a three-run shot.
rown would lead off the second with another infield single before tallying her sixth steal of the year. Jennifer Jacobs would add to her team-high lead in home runs with her fifth of the year to give Carolina a 7-0 lead. The Tar Heels made it 8-0 in the third when the hot-hitting Brown tallied an RBI single to score Alyssa Francona.
Palmer made the score 9-0 when she doubled in Dani Manko who tallied a one out single to left field to get things going. Spaulding tacked on another run as she drove in Palmer from second with a double to center field. Brittany McKinney gave Carolina an 11-run advantage with an RBI single back up the middle that scored Spaulding for the third run of the inning. The Tar Heels would add another late run for the final tally in the top of the fifth.
Starter Amber Johnson was dominant in the circle for the Heels as she struck out a career-high 13 and claimed her third win of the year. Johnson allowed just one hit on the afternoon a line shot that caught SS Sam Ingersoll off guard and got into left field for a double. Johnson would buckle down from there striking out five of the final six outs of the game, including the final three in the bottom of the fifth.
Carolina improves to 18-6 on the year and will take on James Madison in the final game of the rain shortened Tar Heel Invitational at 3:30 p.m on Sunday.
