University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Maryland
Maryland Upends No. 23 Carolina Softball In Both Games Of Saturday Doubleheader
April 17, 2010 | Softball
April 17, 2010
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. --- No. 23 North Carolina dropped both games of today's doubleheader to Maryland (27-17, 5-8 ACC) by the scores of 5-2 and 2-1 at Anderson Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The losses bring Carolina's season record to 34-15 on the year and 8-9 in Atlantic Coast Conference play. Senior Anna Roberts led the Tar Heels with two extra-base hits and two RBIs between the two games. Carolina and Maryland resume play tomorrow in the series finale at 1 p.m.
First Game
Danielle Spaulding (15-3) received the start for Carolina and pitched a complete game, allowing four earned runs on six hits.
Spaulding started the game strong by retiring 15 of the first 16 Maryland batters. During the hot start, Spaulding earned her first nine putouts in the game from strikeouts. The senior from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. ended with 15 strikeouts and currently leads all active NCAA players with a career ratio of 11.8 strikeouts per seven innings.
In the third inning, Roberts put Carolina on the board by scoring senior Christine Knauer on a triple hit to the gap in right-center field. Spaulding knocked in Roberts in the next at bat on a deep sacrifice fly to center field to put Carolina up, 2-0.
With the score still 2-0 after five innings, Maryland tallied five runs in the top of the sixth to give the Terrapins the lead. Maryland's rally started when Sara Acosta drove a grounder up the middle to score Courtney Kane and Niki Lau. Later in the inning, Alex Schultz homered to left field scoring Acosta and Kathy McLaughlin to give Maryland a 5-2 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth.
Still trailing 5-2 in the bottom of the seventh, Carolina placed runners, Knauer and second baseman Brittany Robinson, on second and third base respectively, but could not bring either home as Carolina dropped game one of the series.
Kendra Knight earned the save for Maryland, her second of the year, for pitching a scoreless seventh inning to preserve the 5-2 Terrapins' win.
Second Game
Amber Johnson (18-12) started for Carolina and pitched the complete game only allowing two unearned runs. The senior pitcher from Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. fanned seven and walked two batters.
After two scoreless frames, Maryland struck first in the top of third inning by scoring two runs. In the inning with two-outs, a passed ball to the backstop allowed the inning to continue after a swinging strikeout. During the continued inning, Maryland loaded the bases and Schultz singled up the middle to give the Terrapins an early 2-0 lead.
Carolina fought back in the bottom of the half of the frame when Roberts doubled on a line drive to right-center field that scored Knauer. Roberts' second-RBI extra-base hit of the day cut Maryland's lead in half to 2-1.
The Tar Heels nearly tied up the game in the fourth inning when Tisha Mahon was caught trying to advance home after a Stephanie Murad hit to right center. A well-played relay by the Terrapins' center fielder and shortstop caught Mahon at home and preserved the one-run lead for Maryland.
After Terrapin starting pitcher Kendra Knight (10-8) hit freshman Haleigh Dickey with a pitch to start the bottom of the fifth inning, Head Coach Laura Watten turned to the starter from game one, Kerry Hickey. Hickey held the Tar Heels scoreless for the remaining three innings of the game and earned the save for the Terrapins.
Maryland came close to adding another run in the top of the seventh, but Tar Heel left fielder Kelli Wheeler fielded a line drive and made a spot-on throw to home where catcher Brittany McKinney applied the tag on Maryland runner Niki Lau for the third out of the inning.
In the bottom of the seventh, Carolina's seven-through-nine hitters were retired in order as Maryland wins its second game of the series, 2-1.
With the loss Carolina drops to 34-15 on the season and 8-9 in ACC play.
Knauer led the Tar Heels with two hits in each game today and increased her average on the year to .331.
The two teams meet tomorrow in the series finale starting at 1 p.m. Carolina Softball will celebrate Senior Day starting 20 minutes before the game. Class of 2010 Seniors: Amber Johnson, Christine Knauer, Stephanie Murad, Anna Roberts and Danielle Spaulding will all be honored for their contributions to Carolina Softball.
