University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Alabama
No. 2 Alabama Edges North Carolina 3-0
March 12, 2011 | Softball
March 12, 2011
Tuscaloosa, Ala. - No. 2 Alabama belted two solo home runs en route to defeating North Carolina 3-0 Friday evening in the nightcap of the 2011 ACC/SEC Easton Challenge at Rhoads Stadium. Kelli Wheeler registered the lone hit for the Tar Heels, who fall to 14-9 on the season.
Lori Spingola (11-7) endured the loss despite another strong outing, surrendering only three runs on five hits over six innings of work.
The Crimson Tide's Kelsi Dunn (9-1) tossed a one-hit shutout, registering 13 strikeouts to lead her team to victory.
Alabama first baseman, Amanda Locke, belted a solo home run over the centerfield wall to give Alabama a 1-0 lead after two innings.
Alabama then capitalized on a pair of free passes by Spingola in the third frame. After Kayla Braud drew a walk to lead off, Whitney Larsen hit a line drive to left field. Wheeler made an outstanding throw from left field to Carolina backstop Brittney McKinney to hold Braud at third and limit Larsen to a single. However, Braud finally crossed home plate on an RBI sacrifice fly to right center by the Tide's Cassie Reilly-Boccia.
Alabama tacked on another run in the bottom of the fifth, stretching their lead to 3-0. Larsen lined a 3-2 Spingola offering to left center for the Tide's second home run of the contest.
Carolina's best opportunity to generate some offense came in the first where Wheeler led off with a single to left field. After Haleigh Dickey struck out looking, Blake lined a grounder to Alabama second baseman, Kaila Hunt, who overthrew first base, allowing Blake to advance to second and Wheeler to third. Dunne induced a groundout from Carolina's McKinney to escape the inning unscathed.
North Carolina will take on Mississippi State Saturday morning at 11 a.m. CDT The Tar Heels then collide with Alabama again at 4 p.m. CDT in their third game of the 2011 Easton Challenge.
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