Heels Win Wild One To Clinch Series

Sunday, April 2

Chapel Hill, N.C.

1:00 PM

North Carolina

29-9, 9-3

Virginia

12-24, 3-12

Virginia

North Carolina

April 2, 2017 | Softball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

By: UNC Athletic Communications

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Virginia	3	0	0	4	0	0	0	7	8	1
North Carolina	2	1	2	2	1	0	-	8	14	1

CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina came out on top of a back-and-forth battle on Sunday afternoon, defeating Virginia, 8-7, to capture its fourth consecutive ACC series victory. UVA took the lead in the top of the first, fell behind, then retook the lead in the top of the fourth, but Carolina scored in each of the first five innings, pulling back in front in the bottom of the fifth to complete the victory in Sunday's rubber match. With the win, the Tar Heels improve to 29-9 (9-3 ACC), while UVA slips to 12-24 (3-12 ACC).

“Today was a grind,” said head coach Donna J. Papa. “It was a tough series to win. [Virginia's] record doesn't speak for what kind of a team they are, and they hit the ball really well. We hit the ball really well too, though. I was really proud of the girls today – we scored in almost every inning. That was big. They would go ahead and we would answer back. It was a great game and a great series to win. This was our toughest so far, I feel.”

Five Tar Heel batters put together multi-hit performances as Carolina totaled an impressive 14 base hits in the game. UNC was led by senior Kendra Lynch, who went 3-for-4 with a run and two RBIs. Berlynne Delamora, who was kept off the basepaths for the first time in 29 games on Saturday, reached three times with a single, an RBI double and her ACC-leading 34th walk. Leah Murray, Taylor Wike and Katelyn Shifflett were all 2-for-4 in the game, as Murray also walked and scored twice, Wike scored and had an RBI, and Shifflett also scored a run.

Lynch got the start in the circle for Carolina, but allowed seven runs, six earned, on five hits and two walks with one strikeout over the first 3.2 innings. Kellyn Daly got the final out of the fourth inning, but not before allowing a pair of inherited runners to score on a hit and a walk. Brittany Pickett (14-1) closed out the final three innings for UNC picking up the win after allowing just two hits and no walks over three scoreless frames.

“Brittany was sick on Friday and was very concerned about her performance,” said Papa. “Her concern was that she wanted to be better. You can't ask for anything more than that, and she turned around and made adjustments and came out better. She's only a freshman, and that's what's really exciting about her. She responds and she doesn't really get down. She's always looking to learn and looking to get better. She proved herself a lot this weekend.”

Erika Osherow recorded every out for Virginia, allowing six runs, four earned, on 10 hits and four walks. Allison Davis entered in the bottom of the fourth, but gave up four straight singles and was on the hook for two runs, before Osherow returned and closed out the game.

A leadoff double and a walk put a pair in scoring position for Danni Ingraham in the top of the first, and the Cavalier first baseman clocked a three-run shot to put UVA on the board early, 3-0.

Carolina replied with two runs in the bottom of the first to cut the deficit to one. Murray led off with a single up the middle and stole second, then Delamora clocked an RBI double off the top of the wall in right center. A ground out moved pinch runner Brittany West over to third, and Katie Bailiff drove her home with a two-out single up the middle.

The Heels tied the game in the bottom of the second. Shifflett led off with a single up the middle. Pickett walked and Cole moved the pair into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. With two outs, a pitch in the dirt got away from the catcher, and Shifflett hustled in to score, knotting the score at 3-3.

Carolina took the lead in the bottom of the third, as Micaela Abbatine drew a bases-loaded walk as a pinch hitter, and Pickett sent Lynch, who has singled, across the plate with a hard-hit ground out deflected by the pitcher.

Virginia battled back to retake the lead in the top of the fourth, scoring four runs on four hits and an error and forcing a pitching change. After surrendering a leadoff single, Lynch got outs on the next two plays, but a two-run double by Olivia Gott kicked off a two-out rally. Osherow followed with a single, which led to a call to the bullpen, bringing in Daly. Park connected for an RBI single to put UVA back on top, and after a fielding error extended the inning, a bases-loaded walk made it 7-5 before a called strikeout ended the frame.

Davis came in to pitch the fourth, but did not last long, surrendering four straight singles to the top of the order, as RBIs by Wike and Lynch tied the score at seven. Osherow returned to the circle and got the job done, retiring three straight to strand a pair in scoring position and keep the Cavaliers from falling behind.

Carolina used three singles in the bottom of the fifth to push back in front, as Lynch hit an RBI single to the right send to send Cole home and make it 8-7 UNC.

A two-out bunt single by Iyana Hughes in the sixth was the last of UVA's offense, as Pickett twirled a 1-2-3 top of the seventh to close out the wild win, 8-7.

“We've had a lot of opportunities to build our confidence,” said Papa. “The resiliency of this team is unlike any others I've ever had in my career here. It's exciting, because we're never out of a game until the last pitch. You can't hang your head, you can't get worried, and every time we get in those situations, I say: 'Look, we've been there, we've done that, we've proven we can do it.' We have a lot to hang our hat on from our previous series and tournaments. This one today was the grind of all grinds, but I'm proud of how we responded.”

Carolina concludes its nine-game homestand with a pair of midweek games on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Heels return to Anderson Stadium at 4 p.m. on April 4 for a nonconference game against Longword, followed by a 6 p.m. start against UNCW on April 5.