University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Saint Joseph's
UNC's Spaulding Tosses Second No-Hitter In Carolina Classic
February 21, 2010 | Softball
Feb. 21, 2010
Chapel Hill, N.C. --- The North Carolina Tar Heels (6-3) capped off the championship game of the Carolina Classic Softball Tournament with a victory over the St. Joseph's Hawks (2-2), 8-0. Tar Heel pitcher, Danielle Spaulding, led the Tar Heels in the win, recording her second no-hitter of the season, and fifth of her career. Spaulding struck out 11 in six innings of work, on her way to earning the Most Valuable Player award for the tournament.
The Tar Heels started off the scoring in the bottom of the 2nd, thanks to sold base running on a St. Joesph's error. Hawks' pitcher, Taryn Ashway, walked Brittany Robinson to lead off the inning. Tar Heels first baseman, Constance Orr, then hit a looping one-hopper to Hawks' shortstop, Rochelle Christman. Christman bobbled the ball, allowing Orr to reach first base and Robinson to come home. Orr was credited with the single officially, with Robinson scoring on the St. Joesph's error. The Heels finished the second inning leading 1-0.
North Carolina continued to shut out the Hawks through four innings, before adding three more runs to their lead in the bottom of the fourth. Robinson got the Heels' offense rolling with a one-out, solo homerun to left-center field, off Ashway. It was Robinson's second homerun of the season and her first since the Heels' season opener against Louisiana State University. UNC catcher Ally Blake and Orr followed the solo shot with a single each. Designated player Brittany McKinney, followed up Blake and Orr by recording a single of her own, scoring the lead runner. Next at bat Kelsey Green, reached first via an error by Hawks' first baseman, Alaina Loguidice. The costly error also allowed Orr to cross the plate, stretching the Tar Heels' lead to 4-0.
The Heels' then added another run in the bottom of the fifth. Spaulding advanced to first yet another error, this one by St. Joe's third baseman, Monica Aguilar. Robinson followed up the error by drawing a walk, setting up Blake, who singled to score Spaulding. The Heels departed the fifth leading 5-0.
The Tar Heels tacked on three more runs to end the game in the bottom of the 6th, per the Eight-Run-Ahead Rule. Chelsea Butler led off the inning, pinch-hitting for Dani Manko, by reaching first from an error by the Hawks' shortstop. Butler then advanced to second on a single by top-of-the-order hitter Christine Knauer. The Hawks' were then able to record their first out on a fielder's choice, leaving two Tar Heels' on base for Diane Spaulding. Spaulding drove a ball deep over center for a three-run homer, stretching the Heels lead to the eight-run limit.
Along with Spaulding's timely power hitting, she was "lights out" from the mound. She is now 3-1 on the year, earning two of the victories in the Carolina Classic. North Carolina opponents never could get going against the senior from Rancho Cucamonga, Ca. She struck out 39 batters in 16 innings of work over the course of the tournament. The southpaw only allowed a single hit the entire tournament.
