University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Pittsburgh
Five Home Runs Headline Twin Bill Split
March 19, 2016 | Softball
Pittsburgh, Pa. – Carolina came out slow in game one, but rebounded with an explosive run-rule victory in the nightcap to split an ACC doubleheader at Pittsburgh on Saturday. The Panthers took an early lead to defeat UNC, 7-3, in game one, but the Tar Heels slugged out a 13-3 victory in six innings to close out the night. Carolina finishes the day 14-13 (3-2 ACC), while Pitt falls to 17-9 (1-4 ACC).
“I'm really proud of how we came back in the second game,” said head coach Donna J. Papa. “The first game, we didn't play as well. They hit the ball well, to their credit. Pittsburgh was swinging at good pitches and being aggressive and attacking and we were kind of back on our heels. I didn't feel like we were in the same kind of mentality.
“In the second game, I'm really proud of what Kendra did and how she handled their hitters. A lot of them were swinging at first pitches, popping up and grounding out.”
The Tar Heels collected a total of 16 hits, eight for extra bases, over the two games, led by Berlynne Delamora who went 3-for-7 with a three-run home run. Taylor Wike doubled, homered, walked twice and drove in a team-high five runs, while Destiny DeBerry hit her first career triple and Katie Bailiff went long for the first time in her career.
“I'm really proud of our offense and how we just came out and attacked,” Papa continued. “The middle of our order was really strong today and that's what we've needed and we haven't had. Darby hit the ball well. Elly came in to pinch hit and she blasted the ball. I'm really excited for if that carries over to tomorrow. We needed this kind of a game and we needed this kind of offensive explosion.”
Game 1: Pittsburgh 7, UNC 3
Pittsburgh attacked Carolina for five runs over the first three innings, and the Tar Heels were unable to come all the way back as the Panthers took the first game of the series, 7-3.
Three of Carolina's five hits in the game went for extra bases, as Destiny DeBerry hit her first career triple, Kendra Lynch doubled and Taylor Wike drove in all three runs on her fifth home run of the season.
Pitt scored three runs on two hits in the bottom of the first. Shelby Pickett started it with a leadoff walk. Jenna Modic singled to center, and while Pickett originally held up at third, the throw home got away from Bailiff, allowing both runners to advance. Giorgiana Zeremenko then hit a home run to left center to make it 3-0 Panthers.
The Panthers added two more in the bottom of the third. McKayla Taylor led off with a double, then Zeremenko hit an RBI double deep to right. Erin Hershman beat out a bunt single, and pinch runner Ashlee Sills came around to score an unearned run after Lynch's throw to first ended up in right field.
DeBerry launched her first career triple to the corner in right field with one out in the fifth, but Carolina was unable to get her home, as Pitt held onto its 5-0 lead.
The Tar Heels cut the lead to two in the top of the sixth, as Berlynne Delamora and Lynch led off with a single and a double, respectively, then Wike drilled a three-run homer to center field to make it 5-3.
The Panthers fought back in the bottom half, as Olivia Gray led off with the first home run of her career. Pitt followed with a walk and a single, when the game entered a rain delay. Fifty minutes later, Maggie Savilla stepped up to the plate and roped an RBI double to center to make to 7-3 before the Tar Heel defense retired three straight.
Carolina went down in order in the top of the seventh as Pitt finished out the first game, 7-3.
Lynch (11-10) tossed all six innings for UNC, allowing six earned runs on 11 hits and three walks. Kayla Harris went the distance for Pitt, improving to 8-7 after allowing three runs on five hits and six walks.
Game 2: UNC 13, Pittsburgh 3 (6 innings)
Carolina came back with an explosive victory in the night cap to even the series with a 13-3 slide in six innings. UNC went deep four times in the game, including three long balls in a nine-run sixth inning, to claim its first run-rule victory of ACC play.
Kristen Brown was the first to go yard, crushing her 10th homer of the season and finishing the game 2-for-3 with a walk and four RBIs. Berlynne Delamora was 2-for-3 with a three-run homer, and Kendra Lynch followed her with a solo shot and also walked. Katie Bailiff launched her first career home run for two RBIs, and Taylor Wike hit a two-run double and scored twice. Destiny DeBerry went 1-for-3 with two runs and two stolen bases, improving to a team-high 13 swipes on the season.
Lynch (12-10) sealed up her 12th win of the season, allowing just two earned runs on seven hits and two walks with four strikeouts. Jenna Modic (2-2) gave up the first six runs, four earned, on five hits and five walks with two strikeouts over 5.1 innings. Sarah Dawson got the final two outs of the game, both strikeouts, but not before allowing seven runs on six hits and two walks.
The Tar Heels got after it quickly in game two, starting the outing with a DeBerry single and stolen base, a walk to Wike, then a three-run home run by Brown for a rapid 3-0 lead.
After being held hitless through the first three innings, Pittsburgh got two runners in scoring position with one out as McKayla Taylor singled and Jenna Modic doubled to the corner in left. DeBerry hustled to cut the ball off from getting to the wall, forcing Taylor to hold up at third, and Lynch then drew an infield pop up and a strikeout to strand the pair of Panthers in scoring position.
Brown picked up another RBI in the top of the fifth, as DeBerry got to first on an error by the shortstop. She stole second, got to third on a groundout by Wike, then scored on a ground out by Brown to make it 4-0 UNC.
Pitt threatened again in the bottom of the fifth as Gray hit a one-out double. Pickett laced one up the middle, but Wike made a great play to knock it down and flip to second, forcing Gray to stop at third, then Lynch got Sevilla to fly out to right to keep the Panthers off the board for another inning.
Carolina exploded for nine runs on three home runs in the top of the sixth to take a daunting, 13-0 lead. A two-run double by Wike made it 7-0, then the Panthers intentionally walked Brown. The Tar Heels made Pitt pay as three of the next four batters went deep. Delamora crushed a three-run shot to make it 10-0, then Lynch connected for a solo slam. Fuller drew a walk, and Bailiff hit her first career home run for a 13-0 lead. Elly Wagner hit a pinch-hit double, the first two-bagger of her career, before Pittsburgh finally got out of the inning.
The Panthers did not roll over in the bottom of the sixth, as Zeremenko hit her second home run of the day and Gray slugged an RBI double, but Pitt could not extend the game to the seventh, as Lynch worked a strikeout and a chopper right back to her to close out the six-inning victory, 13-3.
Carolina returns to Vartabedian Field for the rubber match on Sunday, March 20, with first pitch of the series finale set for Noon.
