University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Michigan
Upset Bid Falls Short Against No. 2 Michigan
March 5, 2016 | Softball
Fullerton, Calif. – Carolina entered the bottom of the fifth inning in a 6-6 tie with No. 2 Michigan at the Judi Garman Classic, but the Tar Heels (8-7) were unable to keep the 2015 National Runner-Up Wolverines at bay, as they dropped the weekend opener, 11-6.
“I thought our pitchers did a really nice job,” said head coach Donna J. Papa. “They got a lot of ground balls, got some pop ups. The big thing is that we have to execute, we have to make plays, and that's the bottom line. In a game like that, no matter who you're playing, we can't make the mistakes that we made and expect to come out on the winning end. So, we have to clean up our defense.”
The Wolverines (17-2) had not allowed a run in their three previous games in Fullerton, including a 13-0 victory over No. 18 Missouri on Thursday morning, but gave up six to the Tar Heels. Only No. 1 Florida and No. 12 Oklahoma have scored more against the nation's No. 2 team this season.
While Carolina scored six runs in the game, the Tar Heels did so on just four hits, taking advantage of hit batters and wild pitches to manufacture early runs. Destiny DeBerry had two of the Tar Heels' four base hits, as well as her eighth stolen base of the season. Tracy Chandless had the biggest hit of the day, a pinch-hit three-run home run, while Lauren Fuller used a bunt single to tie the score in the fifth.
“Up at the plate I was disappointed in a lot of the approaches,” said Papa. “I didn't feel like we had quality at-bats. We swung at bad pitches, we let good pitches go by early. Our approach was supposed to be to attack good pitches early and we didn't do that.
“I think Destiny did a great job getting on and she stole a base, but there weren't that many offensive highlights for us. I thought our pitchers, I was proud of what they did, because they did induce the ground ball and fly balls, but I was disappointed in our tenacity as a team.”
Kendra Lynch (6-4) got the start for Carolina, but allowed nine runs, five earned, on nine hits and a walk with four strikeouts over 4.1 innings. Fuller, making just her second appearance in the circle this season, tossed the final 1.2 innings, surrendering just one hit and two walks for two unearned runs. The Tar Heel hurlers did not have much help behind them, as Carolina committed a season-high five errors on the day.
2015 Big Ten Player of the Year Megan Betsa improved to 7-1 on the season, despite allowing six runs, four earned, on three hits, two walks and three hit batsmen, while collecting nine strikeouts. Sara Driesenga tossed the final two innings for the Wolverines and allowed just one hit.
Lynch got a strikeout to start the bottom of the first, but Abby Ramirez and Sierra Romero both got on base to put runners on the corners, then Romero swiped second. Lynch struck out the cleanup hitter, but Tera Blanco laced a two-run single through the left side to plate a pair of Wolverines.
The Tar Heels took advantage of a lack of control by Betsa to tie the score in the top of the second. Fuller was hit by a pitch to start the inning, then flex runner Dani Garcielita took second on a wild pitch. Leah Murray drew a walk, and Katie Bailiff moved them into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Another pitch got away from the catcher, as Garcielita hustled in to score, then Darby Rosen sent Murray home on an RBI ground out to tie the score at two.
The Wolverines retook the lead in the bottom of the third, as Sierra Lawrence led off with a single through the right side, then Ramirez replaced her on base with a fielder's choice. A key swipe of second put Ramirez in scoring position, and a single to shallow center by Kelsey Susalla gave Michigan back the lead, 3-2.
Michigan took advantage of a Tar Heel error to put three runs on the board in the bottom of the fourth. Amanda Vargas led off with a single, then Katie Alexander laid down a sacrifice bunt. Lindsay Montemarano was hit by a pitch, then Lawrence drove an RBI single to center. With runners on second and third and one out, Lynch got exactly the ball she needed, a comebacker to herself in the circle, but she overthrew first base, allowing a run to score. Romero then made it 6-2 Michigan with an RBI single before a pair of ground outs ended the inning.
Carolina attacked right back in the top of the fifth, as DeBerry beat out a bunt single for the Tar Heels' first hit of the game and Taylor Wike worked a full-count walk. Tracy Chandless then made it a one-run game, drilling a pinch-hit three-run home run down the left field line to cut Michigan's lead to one. Kristen Brown battled through a long at-bat to reach first safely on an error by the shortstop, then got to third with two outs on a ground out and a passed ball. Fuller then caught the Wolverines by surprise, dropping a bunt down the third base line for an RBI single, as Brown came home to tie the score at six runs apiece.
“I thought it was big for us to tie up the game,” said Papa. “It was huge when Tracy came in and hit that three-run homer—again—to tie the game. That was big for us.”
The Wolverines quickly regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth, using a pair of RBI doubles to take an 8-6 advantage and chase Lynch from the circle. Fuller nearly escaped the inning without any further damage, but a hard shot off Rosen at third allowed the inning to continue, then Romero clocked a two-run triple to the warning track and was sent home on an illegal pitch to make it 11-6 Michigan before Fuller struck out Christner to end the inning.
Relief pitcher Sara Driesenga kept the Tar Heels from coming back, as Michigan wrapped up its 17th win of the season, 11-6.
Carolina returns to the Judi Garman Classic for two games on Saturday at Fullerton's auxiliary field. The Tar Heels will face Long Beach State at 12:30 p.m. PT/3:30 p.m. ET followed by California, both of whom were receiving votes in this week's NFCA Poll.
