University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Winthrop
Spaulding Fuels Sweep Of Winthrop
April 23, 2008 | Softball
April 23, 2008
ROCK HILL, S.C. - Danielle Spaulding picked up a save in game one before earning her 14th win of the year in game two as the No. 14 Tar Heels took the road doubleheader 4-3 and 2-0 on Wednesday in Rock Hill, S.C. Spaulding also connected on her 10th home run of the year in game two as Carolina picked up its 10th straight victory and 14th win in the last 15 games. The Tar Heels (47-8-1) will travel to Blacksburg, Va. this weekend for a top 25 showdown with Virginia Tech for the ACC regular season title.
The Tar Heels fell behind early in game one as Winthrop pushed across a single run in the bottom of the first after the Tar Heels were set down in order in the first. Emily Troup led off the second by drawing a base on balls before Jennifer Jacobs connected on her 10th home run of the year and put Carolina ahead 2-1. Breanna Brown and Cassie Palmer led off the third inning with back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners with nobody out. Palmer proceeded to steal second base to put another runner in scoring position for Danielle Spaulding who drove a ball to center field that Brown attempted to tag up on but Brown was cut down at the plate for a quick two outs. The next pitch got past the Winthrop catcher and Palmer attempted to race in from third but was cut down at the plate for the third and final out of the inning.
Jacobs pounded another ball in the fourth when she took a 1-0 pitch to the left center gap for a one-out double. Fellow senior Ashley Oxendine came on to pinch run for Jacobs and quickly made the score 3-1 when Lisa Norris singled back up the middle for an RBI single. Some heads up base running by Cassie Palmer in the fifth inning made the score 4-1. With runners on first and second and two down, Emily Troup hit a sharp grounder to short that pinch runner Christine Knauer was able to beat out and allow Palmer to race around third and score.
Winthrop cut the lead to just one (4-3) after the fifth inning when the Eagles tallied two runs on four hits off of starter Lisa Norris. Sophomore Danielle Spaulding came on to pitch in the sixth and sat down the Eagles in order in both the sixth and seventh innings to earn her second save of the year and secure the 4-3 win.
Spaulding got the call in the circle to start game two and once again kept the hits at a minimum. The Tar Heels were able to push a run across in the top of the second as they took advantage of a throwing error by the Wintrhop shortstop. Emily Troup led off the inning with an infield single before being replaced at first by Christine Knauer. Whitney Allen followed with a single back up the middle to put a pair of runners on with only one out. Alyssa Francona hit a one-hopper to short that Stephanie Reid fielded cleanly and then overthrew the first baseman allowing Knauer to score from second and give Spaulding a 1-0 lead.
The Tar Heels would load the bases in the top of the third with a hit by pitch, a single and a walk but were unable to push across a run to add to the 1-0 advantage. Spaulding would help herself out in the top of the fifth when she equaled Jacobs' home run total with her 10th of the year, a solo shot to dead center that gave Carolina a 2-0 lead. Spaulding tossed her sixth shutout of the year en route to improving to 14-2 on the year.
The Tar Heels will now take on No. 18 Virginia Tech this weekend in a three-game series to decide the ACC regular season champion. Carolina needs to win just one of the three games to earn their first ACC regular season title since 1998 and the third in school history.
