Lynch Walks Off On Lancers

Tuesday, April 4

Chapel Hill, N.C.

4:00 PM

North Carolina

30-9

Longwood

12-20

Longwood

North Carolina

April 4, 2017 | Softball

Box Score UNC Homecoming: Weekend Wrap Up - Box Score (PDF)

By: UNC Athletic Communications

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Longwood (12-20)	0	0	0	2	0	1	0	3	8	1
North Carolina (30-9)	0	0	1	0	0	0	4	5	7	0

CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina entered the final inning trailing 3-1 to Longwood University, but the Tar Heels never gave in, using a two-out rally capped with a three-run home run by Kendra Lynch to pull off the come-from-behind victory, 5-3. The win lifts Carolina to 30-9 on the year, while the Lancers slip to 12-20.

The win over Longwood marked the second straight season that Carolina used a walk-off home run to defeat the Lancers. The Heels met LU at NCAA Regionals last season and the pair entered the seventh inning tied 4-4. With one out in the bottom of the seventh, then-senior Kristen Brown broke the ACC career home run record by sending her 66th homer over the wall to send UNC into the winners' bracket in walk-off fashion.

Taylor Wike led Carolina at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Lynch finished the day 1-for-4 with the three-run homer, while Berlynne Delamora hit an RBI double, and represented the game-winning run after a walk in the bottom of the seventh. Destiny DeBerry and Katelyn Shifflett represented the Tar Heels' remaining two hits, a pair of two-out singles.

Longwood hurler Sydney Gay kept the Tar Heels off the bases early in innings, but the Heels never backed down, as all seven hits and all five runs came with two outs.

Pickett (15-1) started for UNC and limited LU to a hit and a walk over the first three innings. The rookie hurler returned to retire three straight in the top of the seventh, picking up the win after firing six strikeouts over a total of four scoreless innings.

Hannah Nommensen entered in the top of the fourth but lasted just two batters after surrendering a walk and a two-run home run. Sydney Matzko took over for the next three innings, allowing one run on six hits and no walks with two strikeouts before Pickett returned in the seventh.

Gay (9-10) went the distance for Longwood, allowing five earned runs on seven hits and two walks with four strikeouts.

Carolina cracked the scoreboard first in the bottom of the third, as Wike singled to right with two outs and Delamora drove her home with an RBI double to the warning track in center.

Nommensen entered the circle for the fourth inning, but struggled, giving up a leadoff walk followed by a two-run home run by Jordan Clark. Matzko took over a gave up a single to the first batter, before getting Justina Augustine to ground into an inning-ending double play.

Longwood added an insurance run in the top of the sixth, as Glenn Walters led off with a double down the left field line, and Jordan Clark drove her in with a single to right.

The Lancers led off the top of the seventh with back-to-back singles, forcing another pitching change as Pickett returned to the circle. The rookie hurler retired the next three straight, including a pair of strikeouts, to keep Longwood from pulling ahead any further.

Pickett led off the bottom of the seventh with a walk, and pinch runner Brittany West executed a perfect delayed steal to get into scoring position. Gay sat the next two batters down, but Wike kept the game alive with an RBI single up the middle, cutting the deficit to one, 3-2. Delamora followed with her ACC-leading 35th walk of the season, the Lynch crushed her 15th home run of the year for a walk-off three-run bomb to give Carolina the 5-3 victory.

The Tar Heels close the nine-game homestand on Wednesday, April 5, with a visit from UNCW. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.