University of North Carolina Athletics
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Washington
Softball Falls To Washington, 1-0, In NCAA Tournament
May 22, 2010 | Softball
May 22, 2010
SEATTLE, Wash. --- The University of North Carolina (41-19) lost, 1-0, to the defending National Champion Washington Huskies (47-6) in the NCAA Tournament's Seattle Regional on Saturday afternoon in front of a crowd of 1,794 spectators. Carolina senior Danielle Spaulding pitched all seven innings for Carolina, yielded only one run, which was unearned, and struck out 12 batters during the game. Senior Christine Knauer and sophomore catcher Ally Blake both singled for the Tar Heels.
Today's game featured the top two active leaders in strike outs per seven innings in NCAA history with Spaulding and Danielle Lawrie. The two starters have fanned batters during their careers at an 11.7 and 11.3 punch out per seven innings ratio, respectively. The two aces rank fourth and sixth all-time in the category.
The two starting pitchers stayed to form and struck out a combined 23 batters during the game. Lawrie, who received the win and advanced her record to 37-2 this season, struck out eleven batters and only allowed two hits in the shut out. Spaulding, the 2010 Atlantic Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year, struck out 12 Huskies and only scattered two hits.
To start the game, Washington's leadoff hitter, Kimi Pohlman, doubled to the center field fence. The next batter, Jenn Salling, bunted and an error by Carolina's Stephanie Murad on the throw to first base scored Pohlman and gave the Huskies an early 1-0 lead.
In the inning's home frame, leadoff batter Christine Knauer bunted and beat out the throw at first base. Carolina could not advance the runner past first base and left the inning trailing 1-0.
In the top of the third inning, Washington's Salling hit a come-backer to the circle, which hit Spaulding in the side of the face. Spaulding received medical attention from the team trainer, but elected to stay in the game and finished up the inning with two strike outs.
Neither team was able to get another hit until Carolina's Ally Blake singled in the bottom of the seventh inning with two outs. The Tar Heels could not advance the runner as the Huskies move on to the Regional's Championship game with a 1-0 victory
The Tar Heels next take the field at 8 p.m. PT tonight, against the winner of the North Dakota State/Nebraska game. The winner of tonight's game will move onto the championship game against Washington tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. PT. The game, as all games from the Seattle Regional, will be broadcast live on ESPNU.
