Wolfpack Storms Back To Stun Heels In Finale

Sunday, March 26

Chapel Hill, N.C.

1:00 PM

North Carolina

26-8, 7-2

NC State

12-20, 6-3

NC State

North Carolina

March 26, 2017 | Softball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

By: UNC Athletic Communications

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
NC State (12-20, 6-3)	0	1	0	0	3	2	2	8	11	1
North Carolina (26-8, 7-2)	4	0	0	1	2	0	0	7	8	1

CHAPEL HILL – A four-run first inning gave North Carolina a comfortable lead for the majority of the game, but NC State put up a late offensive surge, scoring seven runs over the final three innings to steal the game from the Tar Heels, 8-7, and avoid the series sweep. The loss is just UNC's second of the season in ACC play, as the Heels are now 26-8 (7-2 ACC), while NC State improves to 12-20 (6-3 ACC).

Sophomore Berlynne Delamora got the Heels on the board, going 2-for-4 with a three-run home run in the first inning. Katelyn Shifflett was 2-for-3 with an RBI, and Kendra Lynch hit a two-run homer in the fifth.

Brittany Pickett tossed the first six innings for Carolina, allowing six runs on 10 hits and a walk with four strikeouts. Sydney Matzko (3-4) entered in a save situation in the top of the seventh, but allowed a walk and a two-run homer to take the loss.

Peyton Silverman (8-10) went the distance for NC State, allowing five earned runs on eight hits and a walk with four strikeouts.

Brittany Nimmo was the hero for the Wolfpack, going 3-for-4 with her first two home runs of the season, including the game-winning dinger in the seventh, while Tyler Ross went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Molly Martin was 2-for-4 with a double.

Carolina got after it quickly, hurling a perfect top of the first then scoring four in the bottom half. Leah Murray led off with a bunt single, then Taylor Wike reached safely on an errant throw to first on a sacrifice bunt. Delamora followed by clocking a three-run homer to left. Lynch kept the inning going with a walk. Destiny DeBerry bunted pinch runner Brittany West over to second, and Shifflett made it 4-0 with an RBI single off the wall in left.

Brittany Nimmo put State on the board in the top of the second with a solo home run to right center.

The Tar Heels got the run back in the bottom of the fourth using three straight singles. DeBerry led off with a slap to the pitcher and stole second, then Shifflett beat out a single to deep short. Pickett then laced an RBI hit through the right side to make it 5-1 UNC.

Three straight singles loaded the bases for NC State in the top of the fifth. Campbell Hutcherson got the force out at the plate for the second out, but Molly Hutchison worked a 10-pitch at-bat for a bases-loaded walk to score Macauley Prickett. Haylee Kobziak then hit a sky-high pop up that dropped in between three Tar Heels behind second base for a two-run single, as State cut the deficit to one, 5-4.

Carolina came right back in the bottom of the fifth, as Delamora led off with a single to right and Lynch crushed a two-run blast, her ACC-leading 14th of the year, to pad the lead, 7-4.

UNC would need the insurance, as the Wolfpack replied in the top of the sixth to score two on four hits. Nimmo led off with a single through the left side, and Molly Martin doubled to the gap in left center. Pickett struck out Prickett for the second out, but Tyler Ross came through with a two-out, two-run single to cut the Tar Heels' lead back to one, 7-6.

Matzko entered in the top of the seventh looking for the save, but was unable to close it out for Carolina, walking the leadoff batter then allowed a two-run home run to Nimmo, her second dinger of the game, to give NC State its first lead of the game, 8-7.

Wike was hit by the first pitch of the inning to lead off the bottom of the seventh on first base, but Silverman retired the next three straight, closing out the game with a strikeout to secure the comeback victory, 8-7.

UNC continues its homestand on Wednesday, March 29, with a rematch against UNCG. First pitch is set for 5 p.m.