University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Notre Dame
Tar Heels Split Twin Bill With No. 18 Notre Dame
April 25, 2016 | Softball
CHAPEL HILL – Fueled by a strong effort on both offense and defense by junior pitcher Kendra Lynch, the Tar Heels picked up their second victory of the season over a ranked team, defeating No. 18 Notre Dame, 7-4, live on ESPNU. The Fighting Irish took control in the second game of the ACC doubleheader, topping UNC, 12-2, in five innings. After the split, UNC finishes the day 25-22 (9-11 ACC), while Notre Dame is 25-7 (10-4 ACC). Both teams will go for the series victory on Monday, April 25, as the deciding game of the ACC series will also air live on ESPNU beginning at 7 p.m.
Prior to Sunday's doubleheader, Carolina softball honored the senior class in the annual Senior Day ceremony. The Tar Heels recognized graduating athletic trainers Morgan Langton and Luis Carillo and senior manager Kayla Corriher, followed by the six members of the Tar Heel Class of 2016, Erin Satterfield, Lauren Fuller, Kristen Brown, Aquilla Mateen, Tracy Chandless and Elly Wagner. The six seniors' dads threw out the ceremonial first pitches, and head coach Donna J. Papa's niece, Nashville recording artist Taryn Papa, sang the national anthem.
“This senior class has been a really resilient group,” said Papa. “They've been good leaders, collectively. All six of them are our captains and they all lead in different ways with their personalities. They're all very coachable and they have been a great group. They've been adaptable as well. Someone like Elly Wagner—she might not be on the field a lot, but she's one of our Leaders of Distinction and she's very well-respected by her team and she does a lot behind the scenes. Kiwi and Kristen are vocal leaders on the field. They all have different roles where they help us throughout the whole season. I love this senior group. They've been a great group to coach. They're very talented, they have big hearts and they've just done a lot for our team.”
Game 1: North Carolina 7, No. 18 Notre Dame 4
Junior pitcher Kendra Lynch (21-16) drove in as many runs as she allowed, going 2-for-4 with a three-run home run and four RBIs, then settled in to retire the final 10 batters of the game to lead UNC to victory, 7-4. The Tar Heel hurler picked up her 21st victory of the season, after allowing four runs on eight hits and a walk with three strikeouts over the full seven innings.
“Kendra hit the ball well and hit her spots,” said Papa. “She was fresh—we haven't played all week, not since last Sunday—so she had the opportunity to rest. I think her mind was focused and she was hitting her spots and that's huge because they're a good hitting team.”
Destiny DeBerry also went 2-for-4, stealing a base and scoring a run, while Taylor Wike drove in the game-winning run with a two-run double, walked, and scored twice. Tracy Chandless also walked and had an RBI double on her senior day, and Leah Murray put down a bunt single and scored.
“I think we put the ball in play well,” said Papa. “We got timely hits. Tracy Chandless did a great job today, we think she's hit really well this week, and that's why we made a change at the DP spot. I just feel like the girls executed really well. We made the plays. I thought we were just very relaxed, confident, and went in and did our jobs.”
Senior Kristen Brown walked in all four plate appearances, just the third Tar Heel in program history to walk four times in a game, while also breaking UNC's career walks record, set by Kelli Wheeler (2009-12) at 95. Brown finished the game with 97.
Karley Wester led off the game with an infield single and made it to third with one out, but a key strikeout by Lynch helped strand the Irish junior on third.
Lynch helped her own cause in the bottom of the first, drilling a three-run home run to right center to drive in Wike and Brown who had both walked.
Morgan Reed singled and stole second in the top of the second, then Megan Sorlie looped one into shallow left. DeBerry laid out but could not keep the ball in her glvoe when she hit the ground, allowing the first Irish run to cross the plate. Bailey Bigler followed with another single to shallow left, and Karley Wester kept the two-out rally going with a game-tying single to left before getting thrown out trying to take second.
Carolina pushed back in front in the bottom of the second, using bunt singles by Murray and DeBerry to get two runners in scoring position, and Wike then laced a two-run double to the wall in right to make it 5-3.
Micaela Arizmedi cut UNC's lead to one in the top of the fourth with a leadoff home run that landed just below the scoreboard.
The Tar Heels tacked on two more in the bottom of the fifth to give Lynch a three-run cushion. Wike grounded one right through the first baseman's legs to lead off on first, then Beriont pitched around Brown for the third time, as the senior became UNC's all-time walks leader. Lynch drove in her fourth run of the game with a single up the middle. Chandless then launched an RBI double to the warning track in right to make it 7-4 Carolina after five.
Lynch kept Notre Dame off the basepaths in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, retiring the final 10 batters of the game to seal up her 21st victory of the season.
Allie Rhodes (16-5) started for Notre Dame, but left the circle after just two innings, having allowed five runs on four hits and three walks. Katie Beriont threw the final four innings, allowing two runs, one earned, on three hits and three walks with four strikeouts.
Game 2: No. 18 Notre Dame 12, North Carolina 2 (5 inn.)
The Tar Heels struggled in the second game of the day, allowing three four-run frames to drop the nightcap, 12-2, in five innings. Tracy Chandless drove in both UNC runs, hitting a solo home run and drawing a bases-loaded walk in her two plate appearances. Lauren Fuller and Berlynne Delamora had UNC's only other two hits, with Fuller ripping a double off the wall in the second inning.
Fuller (2-3) tossed the complete game in the circle for UNC, but allowed 12 runs on 10 hits and seven walks over five innings. Rachel Nasland (13-1) limited the Tar Heels to two runs on three hits and four walks—all in the same inning—with seven strikeouts.
“I know we got beat,” said Papa. “However, I don't feel like we were run-ruled, in a way. Defensively, overall, we played well. We did a lot of good things in that game. I thought we were disciplined at the plate for the most part. We had opportunities. I don't think we played badly, I think some of the walks hurt us because of the hits that followed it. The thing that Lauren did do, though, that's really impressive is she got the first batter out every inning. It was the batters following that where we didn't get it done.”
Back-to-back home runs by Caitlyn Brooks and Micaela Arizmendi spotted Notre Dame a quick 4-0 lead in the top of the first.
Chandless got one back with a solo home run in the bottom of the second. Delamora and Fuller followed with a single and a double, but the Tar Heels stranded two in scoring position to finish the frame down, 4-1.
Three straight hits led to four Irish runs in the top of the third, as Notre Dame ran ahead 8-1. Melissa Rochford and Arizmendi walked, then Morgan Reed drove in the first run with a single to left. A double to left scored Arizmendi, then Sorlie made it 8-1 with a two-run single up the middle.
Four walks in the bottom of the third led to a Tar Heel run, as Chandless picked up the RBI, sending DeBerry home. UNC had a chance for more, but Delamora lined into a double play to end the inning and hold the Heels to just a single run, down 8-2.
Notre Dame made it a run-rule situation, plating another four runs on just two hits but two walks and a hit batter. A bases-loaded walk by Ali Wester sent the first run across the plate, then Rochford picked up a sac fly. Arizmendi then ripped a two-run double to make it 12-2 and give the Fighting Irish a chance to end the game in the fifth.
After the inning-ending double play in the third, Nasland did not allow another Tar Heel to reach base, striking out four of the final six batters to finish out the five-inning victory bu a score of 12-2.
