Spaulding K's 14 As Tar Heels Win Carolina Classic

Sunday, February 15

Chapel Hill, N.C.

3:00 PM

North Carolina

Penn State

February 15, 2009 | Softball

By: UNC Athletic Communications

Feb. 15, 2009

Box Score

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Junior Danielle Spaulding tied a season high with 14 strikeouts Sunday afternoon in the finale of the Carolina Classic as she led the No. 23 Tar Heels past Penn State by a 2-0 margin. Brittany McKinney drove in the winning run with a solo home run in the top of the second as the Tar Heels ran their winning streak to seven and claimed the Carolina Classic tournament title. The Tar Heels will not have much time to rest as they return to action on Thursday at the Cathedral City Classic in Palm Springs, Calif.

Three strikeouts by Spaulding in the opening frame was just what the Tar Heels needed after being set down in order in the top of the first. McKinney would make up for Carolina's slow start in the first when she connected on a 2-1 screwball and lifted it over the left field fence for her first home run of the year which pushed Carolina in front 1-0. Following a strikeout Stephanie Murad drove a ball off the center field wall but would later be stranded on second.

Penn State would move runners to second in the second, third and fourth innings but Spaulding was unfazed as she picked up a pair of outs in the second, a ground out in the third a strikeout swinging in th fourth to any threat the Nittany Lions presented. Spaulding helped herself out in the top of the fifth after getting out of the jams when Christine Knauer reached on an infield single with one out. Knauer then proceeded to steal her fifth base of the tournament before Breanna Brown ripped a single to put runners on the corners. Brown would swipe second with Spaulding at the plate and then the junior pitcher drove a ball to the warning track that scored Knauer from third and put Carolina in front by a 2-0 margin.

A one out single by Penn State in the sixth put the pressure back on Spaulding, especially after a dropped third strike put runners on first and second with one out. The reigning ACC Pitcher of the Week picked up another strikeout, her third of the inning to end the sixth before shutting the door in the seventh with a pair of K's and a ground out to improve her record to 4-0 on the year and her scoreless innings streak to start the season at 31.0.

Spaulding earned tournament MVP honors after striking out 28 in 14.0 innings of work while picking up a pair of shutouts. Joining Spaulding on the all-tournament team were Stephanie Murad, Breanna Brown and Constance Orr. With the win head coach Donna J. Papa moves within three wins of 900 for her career and will look to reach that mark next weekend when she takes her Tar Heels to Palm Springs, Calif. for the Cathedral City Classic. The Tar Heels will match up against Kansas (Feb. 19), Oregon (Feb. 19), Cal State Fullerton (Feb. 20), Fresno State (Feb. 21) and Oregon State (Feb. 21).