University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Notre Dame
Tar Heels Top No. 18 Notre Dame, 7-6, To Claim Series
April 26, 2016 | Softball
CHAPEL HILL – Carolina softball captured its third nationally-televised victory over a ranked opponent on Monday night, defeating No. 18 Notre Dame, 7-6, to claim the ACC series, two games to one. The Tar Heels put together 13 hits in the game and overcame a late game-tying grand slam to eke out the one-run victory. The win lifts UNC to 26-22 (10-11 ACC), while Notre Dame drops to 35-8 (10-5 ACC).
“It's fantastic,” said head coach Donna J. Papa. “To win two out of three against a ranked team —at home, on senior weekend—I'm so proud of the whole team. I thought everybody had great energy from the first pitch to the last. We were really resilient.”
“It's so awesome,” said senior Kristen Brown. “Kendra pitched her heart out and everyone did their job, so taking this into the postseason is really awesome for us and it just makes us really excited going forward. We had trouble at the beginning of the season, so now that we're coming out on top and winning these games, it's really big for us.”
Aquilla Mateen and Destiny DeBerry both had three hits and two stolen bases in the game, combining for three runs scored. Brown was perfect at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a double and a walk, scoring a run and driving in two, including the game-winning run on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth. The RBI fly out was Brown's 10th of her career, breaking yet another UNC record.
Berlynne Delamora reached base in every plate appearance, walking twice and drilling a game-changing three-run home run in the third inning. Kendra Lynch walked, had an RBI single and scored a run, and Tracy Chandless went 2-for-3 with a run scored.
“I think Berlynne came up really big for us in a clutch situation,” said Papa. “Kiwi did an awesome job running the bases. When you can get both her and Destiny on, they can create a lot of havoc, and they did. Kristen was steady with two hits and two RBIs. We had 13 hits. To hit against a pitching staff like that is great.”
Lynch (22-16) went the distance for Carolina, earning the win despite giving up 12 hits and three walks for five earned runs with just one strikeout. The Tar Heel defense was spectacular behind her, stranding 11 of the Irish, seven of which were in scoring position, while Katie Bailiff threw out a runner stealing and tagging out a runner at the plate to save the game in the top of the seventh.
“Kendra stayed tough,” said Papa. “She only had one strikeout, but I thought our defense played outstanding. Taylor Wike was phenomenal defensively. Her play at the plate (in the seventh inning) was big time. She made another grab on a line drive, and those two stand out in my mind.”
Notre Dame went through three pitchers to get through the game. Rachel Nasland got the start, but allowed four runs on seven hits and three walks over the first three innings. Allie Rhodes tossed the next two, allowing two runs on four hits and a walk. Katie Beriont (5-2) then entered in the bottom of the sixth with the score knotted at 6-6 and gave up two hits and the game-winning run to take just her second loss of the season.
The Tar Heels had runners in scoring position in each of the first two innings but had a runner thrown out at the plate in both frames, as Notre Dame was the first to cross the plate in the top of the third. Maddie McCracken led off with a single up the middle. Megan Sorlie grounded back to Lynch who tried to get the lead runner, but Wike didn't make it to second in time for the out. Lynch got the next two batters out, but Ali Wester and Melissa Rochford followed with back-to-back singles to make it 2-0 Notre Dame.
Carolina struck back in the bottom of the third, using a two-out rally to pull ahead, 4-2. Brown got it started with a double down the left field line, then Lynch and Chandless each singled, with Lynch picking up the first RBI. Delamora then crushed a 1-2 pitch to straightaway center for a three-run bomb to give the Tar Heels the lead.
The Tar Heels tacked on two more in the bottom of the fourth, started by a one-out single by Mateen. DeBerry followed with her third single of the game, slapping one to the right side between all three fielders, as Mateen sprinted all the way around to third. DeBerry stole second, then Wike drove in a run with an RBI ground out. Brown picked up another two-out RBI with a single to right, making it 6-2 Carolina.
The Irish tied the score in the top of the fifth, as Micaela Arizmendi clocked a grand slam after Notre Dame loaded the bases on an error, a walk and a fielder's choice. Notre Dame followed with a single and a double, getting two more runners in scoring position with one out, but a nice play by Wike on a sinking liner ended the inning without allowed the Irish to take the lead.
“We went up with a great lead, 6-2, then one of their best hitters (Arizmendi) comes up and hits a grand slam and we didn't fall apart,” said Papa. “They had runners on at second and third, but we had some great pitches and made some great plays.”
UNC got the first two runners on base in the bottom of the fifth, but Bailiff lined into an unlucky double play to keep the Tar Heels from taking back the lead.
The Fighting Irish also got the first two runners on base in the top of the sixth, but a key strikeout by Lynch for the second out of the inning helped strand two runners in scoring position and maintain the 6-6 tie.
Mateen led off the bottom of the sixth with her third single of the day, then stole second. Wike rocketed a single down the third base line. The third baseman deflected it right to the shortstop, holding Mateen at second. Brown surprised Notre Dame by showing bunt on the first pitch as the Heels executed a double steal, then the Tar Heel slugger broke UNC's career sacrifice fly record, floating one out to right field that allowed Mateen to cross the plate and gave UNC back the lead, 7-6.
“Since there was less than two outs, I was swinging for a sacrifice fly – something deep and in the air,” said Brown. “With speed on third base, anything that's partially deep will work. Kiwi did her job and I did mine so we got that run and it was exciting.”
Casey Africano, who subbed in to catch in the bottom of the sixth, led off the top of the seventh by lacing a single to left center. Sorlie laid down the sacrifice bunt, then Bailey Bigler singled down the first base line. Wike made the play but had no one to throw it to at first, as the tying run landed safely on third with just one out. Karley Wester then grounded to Wike, who fired home to catch Africano at the plate, saving the run, and Lynch then got Ali Wester to fly out to left to close out the game, winning the game and the series.
“This is a huge confidence builder going forward,” said Lynch. “The fact that we can beat Notre Dame shows that we can beat anyone. We're just going to keep climbing in the ACC and doing our job.”
The Tar Heels close out the final homestand of the year on Wednesday, April 27, by hosting Campbell in a nonconference game beginning at 5 p.m.
