University of North Carolina Athletics
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Florida State
Kelli Wheeler's 11th Inning Home Run Powers The Tar Heels Over The Seminoles, 5-4
March 14, 2010 | Softball
March 14, 2010
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. --- Left fielder Kelli Wheeler hits an 11th inning home run to give the No. 18 (18-5, 2-1 ACC) North Carolina Tar Heels the victory over the No. 16 (22-4, 1-2 ACC) Florida State Seminoles, 5-4. Catcher Ally Blake was 2 for 3 on the game with a three-run home run in the first inning. Amber Johnson relieved Danielle Spaulding and pitched 5.1 scoreless innings for the Tar Heels. Carolina takes the series 2-1 over FSU.
Carolina struck early in the first with two outs when catcher Ally Blake hit a home run over the center field fence scoring pinch runner Elisha Elliot and Anna Roberts. The runs were scored against FSU's pitcher Terese Gober, who contained the Tar Heels to only one run and three hits in yesterday's second game.
Senior (9-2) Danielle Spaulding started the game for the Tar Heels. Spaulding started yesterday's early game against FSU, pitching eight scoreless innings, striking out nine batters and gathering only five hits in Carolina's 5-0 win.
In the second inning, Spaulding's 14.2 scoreless innings streak dating back to the 2nd inning of the UCLA game came to an end when FSU's Tory Haddad homered to left field. The solo home run shortened the Carolina lead, 3-1.
In the bottom of the sixth, FSU's Jen Lapicki hit a three-run home run to give FSU the lead, 4-3. Lapicki hit the game-winning two-RBI hit in yesterday's second game.
In the top of the seventh, Carolina made a late-inning charge starting with freshman pinch-hitter Haleigh Dickey hitting a single over third base and down the left field line. Fellow freshman Tisha Mahon pinch ran and advanced to second on a Christine Knauer infield grounder to second base. Danielle Spaulding hit a single to left field to score Mahon and tie the game at 4-4.
After a scoreless FSU seventh inning the game advanced to extra innings. This is the second time this series a game has gone into extra innings after the first game of yesterday's doubleheader. In that game, UNC scored five runs in the eighth inning on the way to a Carolina 5-0 eight-inning win.
The defensive play of the game came from left fielder Kelli Wheeler in the bottom of the tenth. Wheeler dove and hauled in a fly ball at full-extension down the left field line to give the Tar Heels the second out of the inning.
In the top of the eleventh, Wheeler followed up her spectacular defensive play with a home run to lead off the inning. The solo home run gave the Tar Heels a 5-4 lead. The home run is Wheeler's second of the season.
Senior pitcher Amber Johnson, who came in to relieve Spaulding in the sixth inning, received the win and is now 10-3 on the year. Johnson pitched 5.1 scoreless innings in relief.
Carolina came through in the clutch this series - with 11 of the 12 runs scored this weekend with two outs in the inning.
Carolina next takes the field at in-state opponent Elon on Wednesday at 4 p.m. On Thursday, Carolina travels to UNC Greensboro to face the Spartans at 5 p.m. Carolina previously beat UNC Greensboro 11-0 in the Carolina Classic earlier this season.
