University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Boston College
No. 24 Carolina Takes Doubleheader At Boston College
April 10, 2010 | Softball
April 10, 2010
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. --- No. 24 North Carolina (31-13, 7-7 Atlantic Coast Conference) defeats Boston College (10-21) in both games of Saturday's doubleheader. In game one, Brittany McKinney's two home runs carried the Tar Heels to a 4-1 victory over the Eagles. In the second game of the day, Carolina slammed five home runs in the 16-9 victory over Boston College in 10 innings.
Game One
Danielle Spaulding (12-2) received the start for Carolina. Spaulding pitched the complete game, struck out 16 batters and only allowed one run on two hits. oston College's Danielle Weir started the game off for the Eagles with a home run to left center. The homer gave Boston College an early 1-0 lead.
Junior Brittany McKinney responded for Carolina leading off in the top of the second inning with a home run over the left field fence. The home run tied the game up at 1-1.
In the bottom of the second, Boston College loaded the bases, but could not manage to plate a runner. Spaulding struck out all three batters in the inning as the score remained tied.
After reaching first base from an error, Christine Knauer stole second to give Carolina a runner in scoring position. Outfield Dani Manko laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Knauer over to third base, but North Carolina could not capitalize on the opportunity.
In the top of the fourth, Brittany McKinney blasted home run number two for the day giving Carolina its first lead of the ballgame. The home run is McKinney's eighth of the year, which is the second most of any Tar Heel this season behind Kelli Wheeler. Spaulding started the sixth inning by drawing a walk. Carolina called upon freshman Tisha Mahon to pinch run for Spaulding. McKinney continued her hot day at the plate with a single up the middle. After a Boston College wild pitch moved both runners to second and third base respectively, Anna Roberts hit a deep sacrifice fly to center field scoring Mahon and gave Carolina a 3-1 lead.
After a Carolina out, Christine Knauer reached on an infield single in the seventh inning. Knauer, the ACC-leader in stolen bases, took second base and gave the Tar Heels an opportunity to stretch the lead. Pinch hitter Cara Vitale knocked in Knauer with a RBI-single to right field extending the Carolina lead to 4-1.
Spaulding struck out the side in the bottom of the seventh and gave Carolina the win. The victory brings Carolina's record on the year to 30-13 overall and 6-7 in the ACC.
Game Two
Boston College grabbed the early lead by manufacturing a run in the first inning. Pitcher Nicole D'Argento scored the run for the Eagles as Boston College scores first for the second time today.
Carolina quickly retaliated with a Kelli Wheeler solo home run. Wheeler worked the count and finally connected on the eighth pitch of the at bat taking D'Argento deep to center field. The home run is Wheeler's team-high tenth of the season. Sophomore Ally Blake, followed Wheeler, with a home run of her own. The back-to-back homers gave Carolina a 2-1 lead heading into the home frame of the second inning.
With one out, McKinney walked for Carolina in the top of the third. The next batter, first baseman Stephanie Murad, tripled down the right field line and plated McKinney to give Carolina a 3-1 lead. The triple is the first of Murad's career as a Tar Heel.
In the bottom frame, Boston College scored three runs to take the lead back from Carolina, 4-3. Gemma Ypparila started the inning for the Eagles with a single to center field. Next up, D'Argento, laid a bunt down the third baseline. On the bunt, Ypparila rounded second base and took off for third beating Carolina's throw from first, and taking third base. Ypparila scored on the next at bat on a fielder's choice infield hit from Dani Weir. Weir would later score in the inning on a line drive to left field from catcher Amy Tunstall.
The game continued to be back-and-forth in the top of the fourth when Carolina added two runs to retake the lead. The highlight of the inning was Spaulding, pinch-hitting for Knauer, pounding a two-run home run to left field and scoring teammate Manko to give Carolina a 5-4 lead.
Carolina added four more runs in the top of the seventh. Anna Roberts started Carolina's rally with a single to left field. Next up, McKinney got on base from a Boston College error. Murad then drove in Roberts with a RBI-single to left field. Wheeler followed with a single right field and loaded the bases for Carolina. Pinch-hitter Vitale drove three runs in with a double to right field giving Carolina a 9-4 advantage.
The Eagles put five runs on the board to tie the game, 9-9, and force extra innings, in the bottom of the seventh. The late inning rally started with a Weir two-run home run. After a Boston College single and a walk, Carolina called upon Constance Orr to relieve starter Amber Johnson. Orr would only manage one out before being replaced by Johnson. The inning featured five hits from Boston College and fourteen batters. With a runner on first and third with one out, Carolina's second baseman Kelsey Green made a diving snag on a hard-hit ground ball up the middle and made the play to second base to get the force at second. Green's play kept the ball in the infield and helped to contain Boston College to five runs in the inning.
With the score tied at 9-9 the game entered extra innings.Carolina is 3-1 in games that have gone to extra innings this season.
After two scoreless innings from both teams, Carolina began the top of the tenth with Manko and Knauer reaching base. Boston College intentionally walked the next batter, McKinney, to load the bases. Next up, Murad, singled down the left field line to score Manko and Knauer and gave Carolina the lead 11-9. In the next at bat, Wheeler scored Murad and McKinney on a single up the middle. With the score 13-9, Blake added two more runs for Carolina on a home run to left-center furthering Carolina's lead to six runs. Third baseman Robinson followed Blake, with Carolina's second back-to-back home run combination of the day, with a solo shot to left field. At the end of Carolina's seven run inning, the Tar Heels led Boston College, 16-9. In the bottom of the tenth, Johnson retired the Eagles in order as Carolina wins the game 16-9. The win brings Carolina's record to 31-13 on the season and 7-7 in ACC play.
Carolina continues the weekend ACC series with Boston College tomorrow at noon at Shea Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Mass.
