North Carolina
Georgia Tech
Tar Heels Fall To No. 22 Georgia Tech
April 17, 2011 | Softball
April 17, 2011
ATLANTA, GA. --- Georgia Tech used their second walk-off victory to complete a sweep of North Carolina 3-2 Sunday afternoon at Mewborn Field. Haleigh Dickey provided both runs with her tenth home run of the year. Carolina falls to 27-19 overall and 9-6 in ACC play.
Lori Spingola (21-14) takes the tough luck loss after allowing three runs on seven hits. The Atlanta, Ga., native struck out eight, but issued five free passes. The freshman suffers her seventh one-run loss of the season.
Spingola and Yellow Jacket starter Kristen Adkins dueled through the first three innings. Spingola allowed only two hits with three strikeouts as Adkins used just 30 pitches to keep UNC off the board. Both teams combined for four total base runners as both teams were scoreless through three frames.
The Tar Heels remained hitless after five frames, despite several hard hit balls. Adkins issued one walk, but pitched to contact using her fielders for support.
Georgia Tech broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the inning after a solo home run off the bat of Alysha Rudnik. The Yellow Jackets tacked on another after a RBI single from Ashley Thomas. UNC trailed 2-0 entering the sixth frame.
Carolina registered their first hit in the top half of the sixth. Elisha Elliott broke up Adkins' no-hit bid with a double in the left center field gap. The Yellow Jackets used a sound defensive play to erase Elliott off the base paths for the second out of the frame. With a runner on first, Dickey then cranked a two-out two-run home run over the right field fence to knot the score at two.
Georgia Tech threatened in the bottom of the frame with runners at first and second with one out. Spingola wriggled out of the jam unscathed after a pair of huge strikeouts. The Atlanta, Ga., native preserved the tie score entering the seventh.
UNC earned the leadoff runner in the final frame as Kelli Wheeler singled through the left side. The junior moved to second on a well-executed sacrifice bunt from Brittany McKinney. With two outs, Brittany Robinson singled to left field sending Wheeler around third towards home. The Marietta, Ga., native appeared to get underneath the tag at the plate, but was called out as the score remained tied at two.
The leadoff batter for the Yellow Jackets reached safely in the bottom of the inning after Spingola hit her season-high fourth batter of the day. Another runner reached as Christy Jones attempted a sacrifice bunt attempt. Jones popped up the bunt, but the ball ricocheted off Robinson glove as she laid out to catch it.
Thomas then ripped a RBI single up the middle to score one and give the Yellow Jackets a 3-2 win over UNC. Georgia Tech earned their second walk-off victory of the series en route to sweeping the Tar Heels.
Carolina returns back to Chapel Hill for a four-game home-stand beginning Wednesday against Elon at 7 p.m. from Anderson Stadium.
