University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Texas
Texas Battles Back To Top Tar Heels, 7-6
February 13, 2016 | Softball
Austin, Texas – For the second day in a row, Carolina opened up an early lead over Texas, but the Longhorns forced their way back to defeat the Tar Heels, 7-6. UNC led 6-0 in the fourth inning but was unable to score off relief pitcher Paige von Sprecken, and a bases-clearing double by the Longhorn reliever gave Texas (3-0) the lead in the bottom of the sixth.
“It was more a mentality thing than anything,” said head coach Donna J. Papa. “The thing that really bothered me the most is that it was almost like the same scenario (as last night) played itself out again, and that means we didn't learn our lesson. You've got to be able to put a team down, you've got to keep pushing and pushing and pushing, and you have to play like you're winning.
“We weren't playing aggressively enough with a lead, and that's disappointing to me. If you're going to be a championship team, that's what you have to do. We should be 3-0 right now.”
Freshmen Leah Murray and Katie Bailiff were a bright spot in the Tar Heel lineup, each collecting two hits and a run. Senior Kristen Brown led the Heels with two RBIs, going 1-for-3 with a sacrifice fly, while Dani Garcielita and Aquilla Mateen each went 1-for-3 with a run and an RBI.
Carolina stole three bases in the game, tying the team high from last season, with all three runners coming around to score.
“Our baserunning was outstanding,” said Papa. “We did some great things on the bases, but we killed it all with our mentality.”
After allowing just one run on two hits over nine innings of work on opening day, Kendra Lynch (1-2) struggled as the game wore on, allowing nine hits, though only two walks, with four of the seven runs earned. The junior hurler did not have much help behind her, as the Tar Heel defense made four costly errors in the second half of the game.
“Kendra did a great job,” said Papa. “She got ground balls and fly balls. A couple of girls hit the ball well and that's going to happen in a game. She pitched her heart out. I thought she did a fantastic job, but I'm very disappointed in the mental part. You can't win a game with four errors unless the other team makes five or six. They needed to make the plays.”
Tiarra Davis got the start for Texas, but was pulled after 3.1 innings after allowing six runs, four earned, on six hits and three walks with two strikeouts. Paige von Sprecken (1-0) came in and shut down the Tar Heel offense, allowing just two hits and a walk over the final 3.2 innings, while also driving in the game-winning RBI.
Carolina took advantage of a Longhorn error to get on the board first in the top of the third. Bailiff grounded right through the second baseman's legs to lead off the inning on first. Pinch runner Destiny DeBerry stole second, and Mateen drove her home with a bunt single. Mateen stole third, and Brown laced an RBI single up the middle to make it 2-0 Tar Heels.
The Tar Heels extended their lead in the top of the fourth, scoring four runs on four hits and chasing starter Tiarra Davis from the circle. Murray laid down a perfect bunt single with one out then stole second. Bailiff drove her in with a single through the left side, and Garcielita hit an RBI single down the left field line, scoring pinch runner Erin Satterfield. Taylor Wike walked to load the bases, and Jillian Ferraro was hit by a pitch to bring a runner home. Von Sprecken entered the circle with the bases full of Tar Heels and allowed Brown to make it 6-0 with a sacrifice fly before shutting the door on the inning.
Texas came out firing in the bottom of the fourth as Stephanie Wong led off with a single, then Lindsey Stephens doubled to the wall in center. Celina Felix put the Longhorns on the board with a sacrifice fly, and Christina Bardwell made it 6-2 with a two-out single up the middle.
The Longhorns chipped away further at the Tar Heel lead in the bottom of the fifth, taking advantage of some defensive miscues to put two runs on the board. An errant throw to first on a sacrifice bunt put runners on the corners with one out, and a single by Felix drove them both home. A great throw by Garcielita nabbed Wong at the plate, but she was awarded the run after an obstruction call at third base. Holly Kern laced the next ball to short and Brown bobbled the ball in transition, but recovered to nail Felix at the plate trying to score from second to end the inning with UNC still ahead, 6-4.
Texas took the lead in the bottom of the sixth on a bases-clearing double by von Sprecken. The first three batters of the inning had reached on an error, a bloop single and a walk, allowing the Longhorn reliever to put herself in position to take home the win. Wong followed with a single up the middle, but Mateen gunned down von Sprecken at the plate to keep the Longhorns from adding any insurance.
Von Sprecken retired the first two Tar Heels in the top of the seventh, but Murray put the tying run in scoring position by smacking a double to the gap in left center. However, pinch hitter Lauren Fuller was unable to bring her home, as Carolina dropped a one-run decision to the Longhorns for the second straight day.
“I told them they should be really upset with themselves,” said Papa after the game. “They needed to plug in. They need to decide what they want to do and that hopefully that they're mad and know that they're better than what they showed, and that they needed to change their mentality. They need to bring a championship mentality into tonight's game and play to win.”
Carolina (1-2) will have a chance to even their record later tonight with a neutral game against North Dakota State. The Tar Heels topped the Bison, 9-0, behind a one-hit shutout from Lynch in Friday's season opener.
