Tar Heels Suffer Setback at No. 20 Tennessee

Wednesday, March 22

Knoxville, Tenn.

7:30 PM

North Carolina

24-7

Tennessee

23-5

North Carolina

Tennessee

2017 Carolina Classic Tournament Central

March 23, 2017 | Softball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

By: UNC Athletic Communications

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
RV/25 North Carolina (24-7)	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	2	5	1
#20/19 Tennessee (23-5)	4	0	1	4	0	0	-	9	12	1

Knoxville, Tenn. – North Carolina's 11-game road trip came to an end on Wednesday with a 9-2 defeat at No. 20/19 Tennessee. In the first meeting between the two teams in a decade, the nationally-ranked Volunteers scored all nine runs with two outs to hand UNC back-to-back losses for the first time since opening day. The win moves UT to 23-5 while UNC drops to 24-7.

Taylor Wike led the Tar Heel offense, going 2-for-3 with an RBI double. Destiny DeBerry, Katelyn Shifflett and Brittany Pickett each went 1-for-3, including a monster home run by Pickett, and Leah Murray walked and scored in the third.

Kendra Lynch (7-3) started in the circle for Carolina, but made it through just 3.2 innings after allowing nine runs on 10 hits and two walks with three strikeouts. Pickett tossed the remaining 2.1 frames, allowing two hits and a walk with two strikeouts.

Caylan Arnold (10-4) started and closed for the Volunteers, tossing the first three and final two innings and limiting UNC to one run on two hits and two walks with five strikeouts. Matty Moss pitched 2.0+ innings, allowing a run on three hits and a walk with a strikeout.

Four Volunteers had two hits in the game, including Brooke Vines and Chelsea Seggern who each drove in three runs.

Two walks and a bunt single loaded the bases with one out for the Vols in the bottom of the first. Vines put UT on the board with a sacrifice fly, then Seggern ripped a two-run triple off the wall in right. A blooper off the bat of Scarlet McSwain dropped in for an RBI double, as Tennessee put up four in the bottom of the fourth.

Carolina got on the board in the top of the third, as Murray drew a two-out walk then Wike ripped an RBI double to the gap in right center to make it 4-1.

A solo home run by Seggern in the bottom half put UT back ahead by four, 5-1.

The Vols put together another two-out rally in the bottom of the fourth, scoring a total of four runs and chasing Lynch from the circle. Three singles loaded the bases, then Megan Geer hit a two-out two-run single through the left side to make it 7-1. Pickett took over in the circle but allowed a two-run triple to put the Vols in run-rule territory, 9-1.

Pickett crushed a 2-1 pitch as the leadoff batter in the top of the fifth to extend the game with a solo shot to right. Wike kept the inning going with a two-out single, but that would be the final base hit for the Tar Heels, as a 1-2-3 top of the seventh secured co-head coach Karen Weekly's 1,000th career victory, 9-2.

After 11 games on the road, UNC returns home this weekend for an ACC series against conference rival NC State. First pitch on Friday is set for 5 p.m. with 1 p.m. games on Saturday and Sunday.