University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Virginia
No. 22 Carolina Splits Doubleheader With Virginia
April 3, 2010 | Softball
April 3, 2010
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. --- No. 22 North Carolina splits Saturday's doubleheader at ACC-leading Virginia (21-14, 7-1 Atlantic Coast Conference); Carolina won the first game 8-0, but dropped the second game, 3-1. Senior Danielle Spaulding pitched her fifth no hitter of the season and struck out 13 Cavaliers in the first game of the day. Carolina falls in game two after allowing a three-run home run in the fifth inning. Today's split brings the Tar Heels record to 27-13 on the season and 5-7 in ACC competition.
Game One
Spaulding (10-2) pitched her eighth-career no hitter tying former UNC pitcher Crystal Cox for the most no hitters in a career by a Carolina Softball player. The no-no is Spaulding's fifth this season after holding Delaware, St. Joseph's, James Madison without a hit earlier this year. Spaulding also teamed up with fellow senior pitcher Amber Johnson to blank Cal State Fullerton earlier this season.
Spaulding did not allow a hit during the game, but did allow eight Virginia base runners by walking four batters and hitting another three with pitches. Spaulding, still recovering from a hand injury, struck out thirteen batters in her most dominant performance since returning from the injury. The two-time ACC Player of the Year leads all current NCAA players in strikeout ratio per seven innings at an 11.8 clip.
Melanie Mitchell (16-10) received the start for the Cavaliers. Mitchell allowed seven hits and four earned runs in four innings pitched.
North Carolina jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the second inning thanks to back-to-back home runs. Kelli Wheeler led off the inning by drawing a walk. Next up, Stephanie Murad singled to left field, advancing pinch runner Elisha Elliott. Haleigh Dickey brought both runners home by crushing a three-run home run to left field giving Carolina a three-run lead. Brittany Robinson followed Dickey with a solo home run to left field extending the Tar Heels lead to 4-0.
Virginia's Stephanie Coates entered to replace Mitchell in the top of the fifth inning. Coates pitched the remainder of the game giving up four runs on six hits.
After the second inning Carolina was held scoreless the next five innings until putting up four more runs on the board in the seventh inning. Leadoff hitter Christine Knauer started the inning with a single up the middle. Tisha Mahon followed Knauer with a bunt single giving the Tar Heels two runners on base. Two Carolina outs later, junior Brittany McKinney hit a three-run homer to left-center extending the Tar Heels lead to 7-0. The next batter, Stephanie Murad, followed McKinney by going back-to-back with another Carolina home run.
Game Notes:
Before this game Carolina had only hit consecutive home runs once previously this season (vs. South Carolina).
The four home runs (Dickey, Robinson, McKinney and Murad) are the most Carolina has hit against an ACC opponent this season.
McKinney led Carolina in hits with three in four at bats.
With the 8-0 win Carolina takes game two of the three game series with the Cavaliers.
The 8-0 loss is the first for the Cavaliers in ACC play this season.
Game Two
Spaulding (10-2) received the start in game two after pitching seven innings of no hit ball during the first game. Spaulding continued her effective pitching by not giving up a hit and striking out five in three innings of work.
After three scoreless in innings to start the game, North Carolina notched a run in the fourth inning. Ally Blake started the inning by looping a single to center field. Dani Manko was then called upon to pinch run for Blake. McKinney advanced Manko to second base courtesy of a sacrifice bunt down the first base line. A wild pitch moved Manko over to third base before Stephanie Murad hit an infield single to score Manko and give Carolina a 1-0 lead.
Amber Johnson (16-11) entered to relieve Spaulding at the end of the third. Johnson finished the game out by giving up three runs and striking out four batters.
Virginia reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning when Sarah Tacke pulled a three-run home run down the right field line. Tacke also hit a home run in the first game of the series yesterday. The home run gave Virginia a 3-1 lead at the end of five innings.
Carolina could not muster any further offense in the next two innings and dropped the final game of the weekend series, 3-1.
The loss drops Carolina to 27-13 on the season and 5-7 in ACC play.
The Tar Heels resume play on Wednesday in a doubleheader against Winthrop in Chapel Hill, N.C starting at 4 p.m.
