University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Radford
Tar Heels Wrap Up Regular Season With Split To Radford
April 28, 2010 | Softball
April 28, 2010
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. --- In the final two games of North Carolina's regular season, the Tar Heels split a doubleheader with the Radford Highlanders (32-14) by the scores of 5-4 and 3-1 at Anderson Stadium on Wednesday afternoon. Senior pitcher Amber Johnson contained Radford to two hits and one run in today's second game. Senior Christine Knauer went 3 for 5 on the day and stole her Atlantic Coast Conference leading 39th base as Carolina wraps up its regular season with a 39-17 record.
Game One
Danielle Spaulding (18-4) received the start for Carolina in the first game of the day. Spaulding pitched the first seven innings of the game and surrendered four runs, six hits and two Highlander home runs. The two-time NFCA All-America Selection struck out 11 batters and maintained her standing as the current leader of all active NCAA players with an 11.8 strikeouts per seven innings ratio.
The Tar Heels collected nine hits in the game with Spaulding and sophomore Kelli Wheeler leading the way with two each. Despite the nine hits and five walks accumulated in the game, Carolina only plated four runners and left 12 on base.
In the top of the first inning, Radford catcher Sarah Himan hit a two-run home run to left field giving the Highlanders an early 2-0 lead.
Carolina remained scoreless in the first two innings before tying up the game with a two-run third inning. Knauer started the rally with a single up the middle and senior outfielder Anna Roberts followed with a single of her own. Both runners were scored by a Radford fielding error to tie the score at 2-2 after three innings.
Radford reclaimed the lead in the top of the fifth, 3-2, when the inning's leadoff hitter, Michelle Beall, homered to left field.
In the bottom half of the inning, Carolina took its first lead of the game with a two-run frame. Spaulding started the inning with a single and junior Brittany McKinney followed with a walk to give the Tar Heels two base runners. A Stephanie Murad sacrifice bunt moved both Tisha Mahon and Elisha Elliott, who were pinch running for Spaulding and McKinney respectively, into scoring position. The next batter, Wheeler, scored Mahon with a single to left field and catcher Ally Blake followed with a sacrifice fly to score Elliott giving Carolina a 4-3 lead.
Radford notched a run in the top of the seventh, tying the game at 4-4 and forced extra innings. In extra innings the International Tie Breaker Rule comes into effect that states that the last batter up is placed on second base to start the inning.
In the top of the eighth, Carolina turned to pitcher Amber Johnson to relieve Spaulding. Two Radford sacrifice bunts scored the inherited base runner (started the inning on second base), giving the Highlanders a 5-4 lead. The scored run is considered a team unearned run and not charged to Johnson. For the home side of the eighth inning, Carolina loaded the bases, but could not score any runs and dropped the first game of the doubleheader to Radford, 5-4.
Game Two
Johnson returned to start the second game of the day after pitching one inning of relief work during the first game. The senior from Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. struck out 13 batters, which tied a season-high for the redshirt senior. Johnson pitched the complete game only allowing one run, two hits and no walks. The senior earned the win for the Tar Heels and advanced her record to 20-13 on the season.
Senior shortstop Christine Knauer went 2 for 2 with a triple and a stolen base. The ACC-leader in stolen bases with 39, is now batting .331 on the season with a team-high 41 runs scored this season.
Sophomore Kelsey Green also collected two hits for the Tar Heels as the team, for the second straight game, racked up nine hits.
Radford started pitcher Kellie Snooks before bringing in Jackie Jenkins for relief. Jenkins pitched the rest of the game yielding seven hits and two runs to the Tar Heels.
Radford again started with a first inning home run as Nichole Beall hit a solo homer to right field giving the Highlanders a 1-0 lead.
In the inning's home frame, shortstop Christine Knauer led off with a triple to the right field fence. The next batter, senior Anna Roberts singled up the middle to score Knauer and tie the score at 1-1.
In Knauer's next at bat, she led off the third inning with an infield single and stole second base. After Roberts advanced Knauer to third base, Spaulding scored the shortstop on a single to right field. The RBI single gave Carolina a 2-1 lead after three innings.
Senior Stephanie Murad extended the Tar Heels lead to 3-1 with a solo home run, her sixth of the year, in the bottom of the sixth inning. Murad, a senior first baseman from Greenville, N.C., batted .345 with all six of her home runs during the month of April.
Johnson closed the game out for the Tar Heels with a hitless seventh inning as Carolina takes the second game of the doubleheader by the score of 3-1.
With the doubleheader completed, Carolina finished regular season play with a 39-17 overall record and 11-10 record in ACC play.
Carolina Softball next takes the field May 14th-16th in the ACC Championships in Blacksburg, Va. Games times and tournament seeds are TBD.
