Hoos Hit Heels Hard In Series Opener

Friday, March 31

Chapel Hill, N.C.

7:00 PM

North Carolina

27-9, 7-3

Virginia

12-22, 3-10

Virginia

North Carolina

April 1, 2017 | Softball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

By: UNC Athletic Communications

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Virginia	0	1	2	2	2	3	0	10	12	1
North Carolina	0	0	0	4	0	0	0	4	9	0

CHAPEL HILL – The University of Virginia offense attacked early and often on Friday night, slugging eight extra-base hits, including three home runs, to take the ACC series opener at North Carolina, 10-4. The Tar Heels led off each of the first five innings with a single, but only pushed runners across the plate in one inning to drop a conference series opener for the first time all year. The win lifts UVA to 12-22 (3-10 ACC), while UNC drops to 27-9 (7-3 ACC).

Sophomore Leah Murray led Carolina at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a run and a stolen base. Katie Bailiff went 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Kendra Lynch hit a game-tying two-run double. Berlynne Delamora extended her reached-base streak to 29 straight with a single in the fifth, and Hailey Cole was 1-for-2 with a run and a stolen base.

Brittany Pickett (12-1), who was 1-for-3 at the plate, started in the circle but took her first career loss after allowing five runs on seven hits over 3.1 innings. Lynch stranded a pair in scoring position to close out the fourth, but went on to allow five more runs on five hits and a walk over the next 2.2 innings. Kellyn Daly, making her first-ever appearance in an ACC game, came in for the seventh inning and allowed a walk before retiring three straight including a pair of strikeouts.

Erika Osherow (7-14) went the distance for Virginia, allowing four runs on nine hits and no walks with three strikeouts.

Lacy Smith went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two runs for UVA, while Katie Park and Madison Labshere both had a double and a home run and combined for five RBIs.

The Tar Heels got the leadoff runner to third with nobody out in the bottom of the first, but it was Virginia who would score first, as Labshere drilled her first home run of the season to right center for a solo shot in the top of the second.

Carolina stranded another runner on third in the second, then Katie Park added to the Cavaliers' lead with a two-run homer in the top of the third.

For the third straight inning, UNC began the bottom of the third with a leadoff single, and this time the Heels kept it going, as Murray followed Cole with another infield single to put runners on the corners. Taylor Wike executed a squeeze bunt for the first RBI of the game, then Lynch tied the score with a two-run double off the wall in left center. Bailiff followed with a single up the middle, sending Lynch across the plate to give the Heels a 4-3 lead.

The Cavaliers quickly replied to retake the lead in the top of the fourth. Danni Ingraham led off with a single through the left side, and Labshere tied the score with an RBI double. Osherow then gave herself back the lead, 5-4, with a single, and a double by Lacy Smith led to a pitching change. Lynch came in with two runners in scoring position and one out and got the job done to keep UVA from pulling any further ahead.

A two-run home run by Ingraham gave the Hoos some cushion, making it 7-4 in the top of the fifth, and the Cavaliers used three doubles in the top of the sixth to double their lead to 10-4.

Murray singled up the middle with one out in the seventh for her third hit of the game, but that was it for Carolina's offense as the Heels dropped the weekend opener, 10-4.

Carolina looks to even the series on Saturday, April 1, taking on the Hoos at 1 p.m. Saturday will be UNC's annual Ovarian Cancer Awareness game. The Heels will host a silent auction featuring autographed items by notable Tar Heels and Carolina Panthers with all proceeds benefiting UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. Additionally, the Tar Heels will hold a special seat dedication ceremony prior to the game to honor former Tar Heel Jamie Shaver Mayberry '96, who lost her battle with ovarian cancer last spring.