North Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina Edges UNC 1-0
April 6, 2011 | Softball
April 6, 2011
COLUMBIA, S.C. --- South Carolina used a two-out sixth inning solo home run to land a 1-0 victory over North Carolina Wednesday afternoon at Beckham Field. Lori Spingola scattered just five hits allowing one run in the tough luck loss. The Tar Heels fall to 24-14 on the year.
Spingola (19-10) tossed 5 2/3 frames of shutout ball, but suffers her sixth one-run margin of defeat this season. The Atlanta, Ga., native did not issue a walk, posted three strikeouts and stranded four Gamecocks base runners.
The freshman wriggled out of a jam in the first frame. After a USC hit, Laura Mendes smacked a double to land runners at second and third with one out. Third baseman Brittany Robinson snagged a line drive and Spingola induced an infield pop out to end the threat.
Ally Blake reached base for the second time on a hit by pitch in the fourth frame. Pinch-runner Tisha Mahon swiped second and later advanced to third, but a pair of groundouts thwarted the Tar Heels scoring chance.
UNC threatened again in the fifth, after a Robinson lead off single. Pinch-runner Amy Nece stole second and advanced to third on a well-executed Brittany McKinney sacrifice bunt. UNC used a pair of pinch-hitters, but could not plate a run.
Behind the dish McKinney kept the scoreless tie intact in the bottom of the frame, rifling down a potential USC base stealer for the second out of the inning. Spingola ended the frame as neither team manufactured a run through five frames.
Spingola retired her fourth and fifth consecutive batters before Mendes stepped in the box with two outs in the fifth. The senior belted Spingola's 2-0 offering over the fence to snap the scoreless tie in South Carolina's favor. The Gamecocks led 1-0 over the Tar Heels entering the seventh.
After an injury to Logan Foulks, pinch-hitter Elisha Elliott reached on an infield single to bring the go-ahead run to the plate for the Tar Heels in the final frame. Carolina could not scratch together a run falling to 5-6 in one-run games this season.
South Carolina limited the Tar Heels to just two hits and four base runners. In the circle the duo of Audrey Boyles and April Borchadt improved USC to 19-18 on the season.
UNC resumes ACC action this weekend traveling to Raleigh to challenge rival NC State. The three-game set is slated for a 1 p.m. Saturday start from Dail Stadium.
