University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Campbell
Spaulding Breaks School Record As No. 18 Tar Heels Roll
March 25, 2009 | Softball
March 25, 2009
BUIES CREEK, N.C. - Junior Danielle Spaulding broke a 21-year old school record Wednesday when she struck out 19 batters against Campbell in Buies Creek, N.C. as the Tar Heels claimed a 6-1 win. Spaulding snapped Tracey Brower's mark of 17 set in 1988 against North Carolina A&T. Three Tar Heels tallied home runs in the win as Carolina improved to 28-7 on the year. Carolina will welcome Boston College to town on Saturday for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
Spaulding was locked in a pitcher's duel with Campbell's Brittany Stanley through the opening three frames as neither pitcher allowed a hit. Carolina struck first with a pair of singles in the fourth inning with one out but the Tar Heels were unable to come up with the big hit stranding the pair and ending the threat.
Senior Emily Troup quickly changed the score in the top of the fifth when she led off the inning with a blast to center field that put Carolina in front 1-0. The Tar Heels would put another pair of runners on in the inning as Christine Knauer and Kelsey Green each reached on infield singles but a ground ball back to the pitcher ended the inning.
The one run was all Spaulding would need on the day as she faced the minimum through the first three innings before hitting a batter with two down in the fourth. The Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., native was not phased as she rang up the next batter for her 10th strikeout of the contest after just four innings.
After Troup's blast in the fifth, Spaulding came back out and made quick work of the Camels as she set the order down on strikes to bump her total to 13.
A lead off walk to Brittany McKinney started a big fifth for the Tar Heels as they would put two more runs on the board as Troup added another RBI on a ground out just before Anna Roberts placed a single through the hole to make the score 3-0.
The sixth inning saw similar results from the dominant Spaulding as she threw just 10 pitches, picking up three more strikeouts and equaling her previous career high of 16.
A pinch-hit single down the left field line by Stephanie Murad led off the seventh before Breanna Brown sent a ball over the center field fence for her third home run of season making the score 5-0. Spaulding would help herself out a batter later as she lifted a ball out of the park for her third home run in five games bumping the lead to six.
Spaulding rang up the first batter in the top of the seventh to equal Brower's 21-year old record before Karlie Love connected on a 1-0 pitch that quickly evaporated the no-hitter and shutout and cut the Tar Heel lead to 6-1. The homer did not seem to faze Spaulding who struck out the next two batters to set a new Carolina record with 19 strikeouts in the complete game.
The Tar Heels will look for a similar performance from Spaulding this weekend when they take on Boston College in a three-game series starting at 1 p.m. on Saturday in the first game of a doubleheader before a single contest at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
