University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
UCLA
Carolina Falls To UCLA, 1-0
March 10, 2010 | Softball
March 10, 2010
LOS ANGELES, Calif. --- Danielle Spaulding pitched a great game for the No. 18 (16-4) North Carolina Tar Heels, but in the end it was not enough as the No. 6 (16-5) UCLA Bruins prevailed, 1-0. Carolina had a difficult time all day, only gathering one hit as the Tar Heels 15-game winning streak comes to an end at the hand's of the home Bruins. UCLA's solo home run in the second inning was the only difference between the two ranked teams.
Today's match up between the two powerhouses featured two of the nation's top pitchers in Danielle Spaulding matching off with UCLA's Donna Kerr. Both Kerr and Spaulding dominate hitters, striking out hitters to the tune of 9.54 and 12.77 respectively per seven innings pitched this season.
In the bottom of the second inning, UCLA finally caught up to Spaulding when Julie Burney homered to right field. The solo shot gave UCLA a 1-0 lead. The home run was the fourth of the season given up by Spaulding, who has only given up eight total runs all year.
Carolina had a difficult time catching up to Kerr, who only allowed one hit, a single by second baseman Kelsey Green.
Spaulding shut down the Bruins' hitters striking out nine and only allowing one run on two hits, but did not get any support offensively and received her second loss of the season.
The loss snaps Carolina's 15-game winning streak, which started Feb. 14 with a win over DePaul, 4-1, in the Texas Invitational. Today's game with UCLA is the final game of Carolina's West Coast Road Trip after participating in the DeMarini Invitational last weekend at Cal State Fullerton. Carolina went 6-1 during the trip.
In the top of the seventh, Carolina started the inning with an Anna Roberts advancing to first after an error by UCLA's second baseman. Carolina could not convert and the Tar Heels lost by a score of 1-0.
Today's game in Los Angeles is only the third game this season as a true road match for Carolina. The Tar Heels are now 1-2 on road games this season.
Carolina begins ACC League Play this weekend when they travel to Tallahassee, Fla. for a three-game series with Florida State.
