University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Maryland
Spaulding Fuels Carolina Sweep Of Maryland
March 21, 2009 | Softball
March 21, 2009
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Junior Danielle Spaulding connected on a pair of home runs and tossed a two-hit shutout Saturday as the No. 18 Tar Heels claimed a doubleheader at Maryland 7-0 and 10-2. Spaulding picked up the win, improving to 10-2 on the season, in the opener before Lisa Norris earned her 11th win of the year in the nightcap. The Tar Heels and Terps will match up one more time on Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Tar Heels struck for three runs in the top of the first inning when Christine Knauer led things off with a walk before moving to second on a sacrifice bunt by senior Breanna Brown. Brittany McKinney dropped a single into left center and then moved to second on a throw in from the outfield, while Knauer made a heads-up baserunning move as she scored from third when the Terps tried to get McKinney at second. Spaulding quickly made it 3-0 when she tallied her third home run of the season a two-run shot over the left center field fence.
Carolina tacked on two more runs in the third thanks again to a leadoff walk. Back-to-back two out doubles off the bat of Emily Troup and Constance Orr pushed Carolina's lead to 5-0 for Spaulding. The left-hander held Maryland in check in the first three innings before giving up her first hit of the day in the bottom of the fourth.
Spaulding would cruise from that point allowing just one more hit the rest of the way for her ninth shutout of the season. Orr would add another RBI to her total for the game in the top of the seventh when tallied a sacrifice fly, extending Carolina's lead to 7-0 after Brittney Robinson scored earlier in the inning on a passed ball.
Game two saw the Tar Heels strike first once again when Kelsey Green tallied an RBI single with the bases loaded but Carolina was unable to add to the lead as it would strand the bases loaded.
The inability to add to the lead came back to haunt the Tar Heels in the bottom half of the second when Nadine Blackie quickly put Maryland in front with a two run homer to dead center to put the Terps in front 2-1.
The lead would not last long however as Carolina quickly answered with a big inning in the third when 10 Tar Heels went to the plate in the inning. Brown led off the inning with a single before stealing second, her 10th steal of the season. McKinney would be hit in the foot by a pitch, putting a pair of runners on for Spaulding who hit her second home run in as many games, this time to center that was a no-doubter putting Carolina in front 4-2. Green would add another RBI single later in the inning, just before Knauer tallied a sacrifice fly for a five-run inning.
Three more runs for Carolina in the fourth pushed the lead to 9-2 as Anna Roberts scored on a passed ball with the bases loaded before starter Lisa Norris helped herself out with a two run single.
Norris settled down after the shaky first as she held the Terps scoreless over the next five innings to earn her 11th win of the year. Spaulding led the way in the nightcap with three RBIs, while Norris and Green each tallied a pair for the Tar Heels.
The Heels will look for the three-game sweep on Sunday when they take on the Terps at 1 p.m.
