University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Charlotte
No. 15 Tar Heels Split At Charlotte
April 9, 2008 | Softball
April 9, 2008
Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The No. 15 North Carolina softball earned its second midweek split in as many weeks as the Tar Heels claimed an 8-0 five inning win over Charlotte in game one before falling 3-1 in game two. Lisa Norris earned the win in the circle for Carolina in game one. Carolina will take on Virginia in a three-game series this weekend in Charlottesville, Va.
Carolina took advantage of a 49er error in the top of the second when the Tar Heels pushed across three runs. Emily Troup led off the inning by drawing a base on balls and was replaced on the base paths by Dani Manko who proceeded to steal second base. Lisa Norris would follow by hitting a grounder to third that the Charlotte third baseman threw over the first baseman's head allowing Manko to score. Alyssa Francona would put a pair of runners on for Breanna Brown who delivered a bases clearing double into the left center field gap.
The Tar Heels would tack on two more runs in the top of the third when Danielle Spaulding connected on her seventh home run of the year a shot to right field that soared over the fence. Manko made it two hits in a row for Carolina when she followed with a single to right field and then tallied her second steal of the day. Whitney Allen found a hole in the left side of the infield as she tallied the third straight hit. A walk would load the bases before Bree Ensminger hit a fly ball down the left field line for a sacrifice fly that scored Manko and gave starter Lisa Norris a 5-0 advantage.
Seniors Cassie Palmer and Jennifer Jacobs made the score 8-0 after four and a half innings as Palmer tallied a two-run double off the left field wall before Jacobs drove a ball to left for a sacrifice fly that scored Breanna Brown for Carolina's eighth and final run. Brown would come up big in the bottom half of the fifth as she gunned down the potential game-extending run at the plate with a perfect throw from center. Palmer was 3 for 4 on the day and drove in two runs as did Brown who was 2 for 4 with a run scored in the opening game.
The Tar Heels found themselves in an early hole in game two as the leadoff batter tripled to left center and scored on a throwing error before Jamie West connected on a two-run home run to left field that made the score 3-0 after just a half inning. Spaulding would settle down from that point getting two of the next three batters in the first before setting down the side in the second. Charlotte would put runners on first and second in the bottom of the third before Spaulding forced an inning ending double play ground ball to Alyssa Francona at third base.
Palmer kept the hitting going in game two as she led off the top of the fourth with a single to left before moving into scoring position following a groundout. The Tar Heels would strand Palmer there as Carolina was unable to cut into the 49er lead. Anna Roberts would put Carolina on the board in the top of the fifth when she connected on her first career home run to cut the Charlotte lead to 3-1. The Tar Heels threatened in the top of the sixth when Danielle Spaulding reached on an error and moved to second base as a result. Pinch runner Dani Manko moved to third on a groundout but was unable to score, keeping the score at 3-1.
Carolina would not go quietly in the seventh as Whitney Allen led off with a single before back-to-back outs put the Tar Heels' backs against the wall. Alyssa Francona would keep the inning alive with a single back up the middle but Breanna Brown lined out to center to end the threat and the game.
Carolina sits at 37-8-1 on the year with the split and will travel to Charlottesville, Va. this weekend for a three-game series against the Cavaliers.
