Softball Falls to Wisconsin, Florida Atlantic On Day Two Of Joan Joyce Classic

Saturday, February 25

Boca Raton, Fla.

9 a.m.

North Carolina

6-7

Wisconsin

5-6

Wisconsin

North Carolina

Photo by: Ashley Steltenpohl

Softball Falls to Wisconsin, Florida Atlantic On Day Two Of Joan Joyce Classic

February 25, 2023 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Carolina softball team dropped a pair of games on the second day of the Joan Joyce Classic in Boca Raton, falling to Wisconsin and Florida Atlantic both by a score of 5-4. With the two losses, the Tar Heels fall to 6-8 on the season and are 0-4 on the weekend.

Bri Stubbs' bat led the Tar Heel offense, with the senior centerfielder going 4-of-6 from the plate on the day. She was a perfect 3-of-3 at the dish against the Badgers, matching her career-best.

Abby Settlemyre and Kiersten Licea each tallied their first triples of the season, the first for Settlemyre since 2019 and first of Licea's career.

Kianna Jones had the sole home run of the day for Carolina, hitting a three-run shot against Florida Atlantic, her first of 2023.

GAME 1: Wisconsin: 5, Carolina: 4
For the second game in a row against the Tar Heels, Wisconsin's offense started hot, opening the game with a two-run home run in the first inning.

Despite a scoreless second and third, Stubbs recorded Carolina's first hit of the game in the bottom of the third inning, a single up the middle.

The Badgers added to their lead by plating one run in the top of the fourth off a sacrifice fly and then another two runs in the top of the seventh, leading 5-0 with three Tar Heel outs remaining.

With two outs on the board and down to the final strike, Carolina's offense exploded. Alex Brown, Stubbs, Destiny Middleton, Licea and Annie Kate Dalton strung together five back-to-back hits, plating four runs to cut the lead to 5-4.

However, the Tar Heels came up just short of tying it up, closing out the game on a groundout.

Carlie Myrtle (0-2) was charged the loss in the circle, allowing three earned runs and seven hits in seven innings with three strikeouts.

GAME 2: Florida Atlantic: 5, Carolina: 4
Settlemyre got the Tar Heels started with a leadoff triple, before Stubbs scored her with a sacrifice fly, making it 1-0.

The Owls were able to even it up in the bottom of the first, scoring on an RBI double.

With Middleton and Carsyn Snead on first and second after back-to-back hits in the top of the second, Jones then stepped to the plate and hit a three-run home run to make it 4-1.

Carolina held onto the lead until the bottom of the fourth, when FAU plated four runs on five hits to go ahead 5-4.

The Tar Heels were retired in order in the fifth and sixth, with Carlie Myrtle tallying the final hit of the game in the bottom of the seventh.

Backes (3-4), who pitched all six innings, took the loss in the circle, allowing five earned runs. She matched her career-best of seven strikeouts in the outing.

Up next, the Tar Heels finish off their time in Florida, rematching FAU at 9 a.m. on the final day of the Joan Joyce Classic.

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