North Carolina
Fresno State
No. 20 Tar Heels Fall To No. 14 Fresno State, 4-2
February 21, 2009 | Softball
Feb. 21, 2009
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. - ack-to-back two-run innings by No. 14 Fresno State snapped No. 20 North Carolina's 10-game winning streak Saturday morning in the Cathedral City Classic as the Tar Heels fell 4-2 to the Bulldogs. Starter Danielle Spaulding was saddled with her first loss of the year as Fresno State snapped her scoreless innings streak to start the year at 41.0. The Tar Heels will look to bounce back right away as they face Oregon State in its final game of the Cathedral City Classic in Cathedral City, Calif. at 12:30 p.m. PT.
Spaulding was called upon to start in the circle for the Tar Heels and was able to escape some early trouble in the bottom of the first when a pitch ran in on Haley Gilleland putting a runner on first with just one out. Fresno State catcher Caitlin Stiglich drove a pitch into the gap in left center that centerfielder Breanna Brown chased down but as she dove to make the catch the ball popped out of her glove. Brown quickly rose to her feet and fired to Christine Knauer who relayed the ball home just in time to cut down Gilleland at the plate for a timely out. A fly out to right would end the inning as Spaulding escaped any danger.
Two innings later the Tar Heels were able to strike first when Knauer reached on an infield single before swiping second base. Brown would follow Knauer at the plate and ripped a single back up the middle that rolled through the legs of the centerfielder. The speedy Brown raced around the bases and scored to give Carolina a 2-0 lead.
A base running error by the Tar Heels in the top of the fourth ended a chance for Carolina to add to its 2-0 lead. Carolina could have used the extra run as Fresno State quickly tied things up in the bottom half of the fourth with a leadoff double followed by a home run off the bat of Michelle Moses that knotted things up at 2-2. The Bulldogs would put two more runners on in the inning but Spaulding was able to avoid any more trouble as she forced a groundout to end the inning.
The big blow came in the bottom of the fifth when the Tar Heels committed a pair of costly errors. With one out in the inning the Bulldogs put a runner on first when a throw from Brittany Robinson was in the dirt. Spaulding issued a pair of free passes that loaded the bases with two outs. Spaulding looked to be out of trouble when she forced a fly ball to right but the ball was misplayed, allowing a pair of runs to score.
The Tar Heels would move a runner to third with just one out in the sixth but the Tar Heel bats were unable to drive Ally Blake in before being set down in order in the seventh to close out the loss. The defeat was Carolina's third of the season and snapped a 10-game winning streak for the Tar Heels. Brittany McKinney and Emily Troup each tallied a pair of hits in the loss.
