University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Cal St Fullerton
Norris' No-No Gives Papa 900th Win
February 20, 2009 | Softball
Feb. 20, 2009
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. - Lisa Norris was dominant in the circle and the duo of Brittany McKinney and Danielle Spaulding led the No. 20 North Carolina softball team to a 5-0 win over Cal State Fullerton Friday night in the Cathedral City Classic. Norris notched the fourth no hitter of her career as the Tar Heels helped head coach Donna J. Papa claim win number 900 for her career.
"All of us in the UNC Athletic Department congratulate Coach Papa on this milestone of 900 wins," said Senior Associate Director of Athletics Dr. Beth Miller. "She has been extremely successful and a positive influence on so many student-athletes during her tenure at Carolina. We applaud Coach Papa on this great accomplishment."
Breanna Brown started things off in the bottom of the first when she dropped a ball in front of a diving centerfielder as the senior legged out a double to put a runner in scoring position for Danielle Spaulding. The junior first baseman quickly made the score 1-0 when she took a 2-1 pitch through the right side of the infield to score Brown for Spaulding's 10th RBI of the season.
The Tar Heels tacked on another pair of runs in the bottom of the third when the cleanup hitter, Brittany McKinney, crushed a pitch into the night for a two-run home run that gave Carolina a 3-0 advantage. Breanna Brown started the rally once again when she hit a ball up the middle that was misplayed by the Titans' shortstop. Brown quickly put herself in scoring position once again as she stole her fifth bag of the season before McKinney's blast put starter Lisa Norris firmly in control.
Norris was nearly untouchable in the early going as she struck out a pair in the first inning before getting the help of McKinney in the second as the duo combined with shortstop Christine Knauer for a strikeout and a caught stealing that ended the second inning in a hurry for Cal State Fullerton. Norris struck out another pair in the third before picking up a nice running grab by second baseman Brittany Robinson in foul territory and a routine grounder to Alyssa Francona in the fourth.
A pair of running catches, including a sliding effort, by Dani Manko in left field kept Norris' no hitter intact as the senior right-hander tallied her seventh strikeout of the game to end the fifth and put the Tar Heel bats back to work.
Christine Knauer and the top of the order led things off when Knauer battled with Fullerton's Krystal Heinle through a seven-pitch at bat before hitting a roller to third base that she was able to beat out before moving to second as the throw to first sailed past the first baseman. Spaulding would add to her RBI collection later in the frame when she drove a pitch off the right centerfield wall to plate Knauer and give Carolina a 4-0 lead. McKinney matched Spaulding's RBI hit with one of her own as she scored Spaulding on a well placed single down the right field line that pushed the advantage to five.
Things were clearly going Norris' way on the night when with the first pitch of the sixth inning she calmly stuck out her glove and snagged a liner for the first out before ringing up Kadie Baldwin for out number two. Norris would retire the final batter on a fly ball to center field as she cruised through the inning on just 14 pitches. A strikeout, her ninth of the game, started off the top of the seventh as Norris quickly was just two outs away from the no-no. Another strikeout of the swinging variety notched Norris her 10th of the night before she forced an infield pop up to third to end the inning and the game. The no-hitter was the fourth of her career and gave head coach Donna J. Papa win number 900 for her career. Papa now holds a 900-502-5 record in her 25th year of coaching.
The Tar Heels will close out tournament play on Saturday when they take on No. 15 Fresno State at 10 a.m. PT followed by Oregon State at 12:30 p.m PT.
