North Carolina
UNCG
No. 16 Tar Heels Sweep Spartans
February 25, 2009 | Softball
Feb. 25, 2009
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The No. 16 North Carolina softball team swept a home doubleheader from UNC Greensboro Wednesday afternoon at Anderson Stadium with a 3-2 game one win before an 11-3 six-inning run-rule game two. Danielle Spaulding and Lisa Norris each notched victories for the 14-3 Tar Heels who will travel to Knoxville, Tenn. this weekend to partake in the Tennessee Classic.
Danielle Spaulding got the call in the circle in game one and delivered four scoreless innings for the win. Spaulding was also nearly unstoppable at the plate as she along with Breanna Brown and Kelsey Green all went 2 for 3 at the plate as the trio each drove in a run apiece.
An RBI single by Brown in the third inning put Carolina in front early before Spaulding laced a double into the left center gap scoring Brown and giving the Tar Heels a 2-0 lead. A one-out walk by Stephanie Murad started the fourth inning off for Carolina as Kelsey Green came up with the big two-out hit when she went with an outside pitch and drove it to right center for a double that scored Murad from first for a 3-0 lead.
Things quickly became interesting in the top of the sixth when UNC Greensboro staged a late two-out rally. Three straight singles off of reliever Lisa Norris cut the deficit to two (3-1) before a double to left field cut the margin to just one before Norris forced a fly ball to end the threat as the Spartans stranded a pair of runners in scoring position. Norris sat down the Spartans in order in the top of the seventh as she recorded her eighth career save and her first of the season.
Carolina found itself in an early hole in game two when the Spartans put a three-spot on the board, taking advantage of three base on balls. UNC Greensboro tallied a pair of hits in the inning off starter Constance Orr, one of which was a two-run single, knocking the freshman from the game and forcing Lisa Norris into her second consecutive game.
The Tar Heels answered the three-run second inning with a four run outburst in the bottom of the third, thanks in large part to a three-run round-tripper by Anna Roberts. Brittany McKinney put the first run on the board with an RBI single that scored Breanna Brown before Roberts stepped to the plate with pinch runners Dani Manko and Lisa Norris aboard. The Greenville, N.C., native took 1-2 pitch to deep left field for her first home run of the season, which put Carolina in front 4-3.
Carolina tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the fourth when Spaulding led off the frame with a bomb to dead center for her second homer of the year. A single and three consecutive walks made the score 6-3 with nobody out, but the Tar Heels would strand the bases loaded with back-to-back forceouts from shortstop to catcher before another groundout ended any more runs being scored.
The Tar Heels would put the pressure on in the bottom of the sixth as Carolina loaded the bases once again. Breanna Brown would draw a walk to force in a run before Danielle Spaulding nearly ended the game with her second home run of the game. Spaulding ripped a pitch over the right fielder's head that bounced off the wall in right scoring both Christine Knauer and Kelli Wheeler. Roberts strolled to the plate once again and ended the contest a little early as she drove a pitch to center field for a sacrifice fly to make the final tally 11-3 in favor of the Tar Heels.
Carolina will look to keep the offense rolling this weekend when it heads to Knoxville, Tenn. to take on Jacksonville State, Tennessee, North Dakota State and Bowling Green in the Tennessee Classic set to be played Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 28 and March 1.
