Tuesday, February 18
Columbia, S.C.
6 PM
North Carolina
at
#21 South Carolina
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Softball Heads To South Carolina For Midweek
February 17, 2025 | Softball
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COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Carolina softball team (9-2) heads to take on South Carolina (10-0) on Tuesday at 6:00 PM on SECN+.
This is the first matchup between the two squads since 2023.
UNC is coming off the heels of a very successful week where it went 6-0 and a perfect 5-0 at home, including Britton Rogers throwing the 10th perfect game in program history.
This is the last road game for the Tar Heels until March 14, as they open up a 15 game home stand on Thursday with a matchup against Maryland.
NEWS AND NOTES
A WIN WOULD...
- Be better than a loss
- Be the first win over the Gamecocks since an 8-3 win on the road in 2022
BRITTON'S PERFECT HOME OPENER
- On Feb. 13 Britton Rogers threw the 10th perfect game in program history
- She became only the second Tar Heel to throw multiple perfect games (2/9/24) joining Virginia Augusta (4 perfect games, 11 no hitters)
- She struck out eight Drexel hitters in the five inning 8-0 win
- Both of Rogers perfect games were five inning, eight strikeouts performances as well as her first starts of the seasons
KAT GOES KRAZY
- In six games last week, Kat Rodriguez broke out for 12 RBI on 10 hits
- Rodriguez slashed an insane .526/.591/.737 in 19 at bats without striking out
- She also worked two walks and was hit by a pitch
- The Pembroke Pines, Fla. native now leads the Tar Heels in batting average (.457), hits (16), RBI (17), doubles (7), and total bases (23)
WEEKEND DOMINATION IN ALL FACETS
- Carolina rolled in the Tar Heel Invitational, outscoring opponents 45-5 across five games
- Friday's 16-1 win over Drexel was the second day in a row that the Tar Heel offense put 16 runs on the board
- 40 runs in a three-game span are the most since Carolina scored 51 in three games against Virginia and Georgia March 28-April 1, 2015
- Tar Heel pitching was equally as dominant, throwing to the tune of a 0.97 ERA with two shutouts, allowing just five runs all weekend
KENNA RAYE'S SHOVING
- In five starts this season, Kenna Raye Dark has a 3-1 record with three complete game shutouts
- Her 31 strikeouts rank third in the ACC this season and is tied for 24th best in the nation
- She has more strikeouts than 114 D1 teams
BATS GO TO THE BEACH... BUT DON'T RELAX
- Carolina exploded for 16 runs and 18 hits against Coastal Carolina
- It was the most runs scored since Feb. 27, 2024 against NC Central and the most runs since Feb. 15, 2024 against Kentucky
- Carlie Myrtle led the way with four hits and five RBICOLUMBIA, S.C. – The Carolina softball team (9-2) heads to take on South Carolina (10-0) on Tuesday at 6:00 PM on SECN+.
This is the first matchup between the two squads since 2023.
UNC is coming off the heels of a very successful week where it went 6-0 and a perfect 5-0 at home, including Britton Rogers throwing the 10th perfect game in program history.
This is the last road game for the Tar Heels until March 14, as they open up a 15 game home stand on Thursday with a matchup against Maryland.
NEWS AND NOTES
A WIN WOULD...
- Be better than a loss
- Be the first win over the Gamecocks since an 8-3 win on the road in 2022
BRITTON'S PERFECT HOME OPENER
- On Feb. 13 Britton Rogers threw the 10th perfect game in program history
- She became only the second Tar Heel to throw multiple perfect games (2/9/24) joining Virginia Augusta (4 perfect games, 11 no hitters)
- She struck out eight Drexel hitters in the five inning 8-0 win
- Both of Rogers perfect games were five inning, eight strikeouts performances as well as her first starts of the seasons
KAT GOES KRAZY
- In six games last week, Kat Rodriguez broke out for 12 RBI on 10 hits
- Rodriguez slashed an insane .526/.591/.737 in 19 at bats without striking out
- She also worked two walks and was hit by a pitch
- The Pembroke Pines, Fla. native now leads the Tar Heels in batting average (.457), hits (16), RBI (17), doubles (7), and total bases (23)
WEEKEND DOMINATION IN ALL FACETS
- Carolina rolled in the Tar Heel Invitational, outscoring opponents 45-5 across five games
- Friday's 16-1 win over Drexel was the second day in a row that the Tar Heel offense put 16 runs on the board
- 40 runs in a three-game span are the most since Carolina scored 51 in three games against Virginia and Georgia March 28-April 1, 2015
- Tar Heel pitching was equally as dominant, throwing to the tune of a 0.97 ERA with two shutouts, allowing just five runs all weekend
KENNA RAYE'S SHOVING
- In five starts this season, Kenna Raye Dark has a 3-1 record with three complete game shutouts
- Her 31 strikeouts rank third in the ACC this season and is tied for 24th best in the nation
- She has more strikeouts than 114 D1 teams
BATS GO TO THE BEACH... BUT DON'T RELAX
- Carolina exploded for 16 runs and 18 hits against Coastal Carolina
- It was the most runs scored since Feb. 27, 2024 against NC Central and the most runs since Feb. 15, 2024 against Kentucky
- In her first start of the season, Raeghan Carlson was a triple away from the cycle to go along with two RBI
KIWI'S COMEBACK
- After battling through numerous injuries and being hit by a car, Kiwi Pierce is back on the softball field in
Carolina blue
- In her first at bat back in the season opener, she picked up a single, going right back up the middle
- She is hitting .400 with 4 RBI so far this season
NEWCOMERS POP OFF IN CAROLINA BLUE DEBUT
- In the season opener against App St newcomers accounted for all eight RBI
- Kat Rodriguez led the way with four RBI, followed by Rayna Blackwell who hit two homers for three RBI, then Shelby Barbee had one
- Grace Jackson accounted for three runs
- After one weekend, a newcomer leads in 12 offensive categories
2025 PRIMER
- Megan Smith Lyon enters her second season as the leader of her alma mater
- In her first season at the helm the Tar Heels went 30- 20 and 10-14 in ACC play
- The Tar Heels roster has a lot of new faces with 12 returners and 14 newcomers to the roster (7 transÂfers/7 freshmen)
RETURNING FIRE POWER
- Alex Coleman was ranked the #27 outfielder in the country with teammate Sanna Thompson slotting in a #29
- Coleman returns for her second season in Chapel Hill after a stellar 2024 season where she hit .436, walked 20 times while only striking out 11 times. She always was a menace on the base paths, stealing 20 bags
- Thompson was a breakout freshman in 2024, hitting .402, five homers, with an on base percentage of .477
THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT
- Freshman Lilly Parrish was named to both the D100 Freshman Watch List and the Softball America FreshÂman Watch List
- Parrish was a top-20 ranked recruit who is considÂered one of the top two-way freshman in the country
- Ella Fox was also named to the Softball America Watch List
SPECIAL NUMBER 3
- Alex Coleman wears #3 because it was the same number head coach Megan Smith Lyon wore when she played at Carolina
- At Marshall Coleman wore #4, but switched to three once she got to Carolina
- Coleman and Smith Lyon also played for the same club softball organization the Carolina Cardinals
SISTERS TOGETHER AGAIN
- Junior Caroline Fox is joined on the 2025 roster by her little sister Ella Fox
- The Fox sisters are two of seven siblings, they have three sisters and two brothers
- Head Coach Megan Smith Lyon is quoted as saying  "If you ask anybody on our team who works the hardÂest, who does everything the right way all the time, they'll all say Ella, Always."
CAROLINA FEEL TO IT
- 43 of Carolina's 55 games take place in either North Carolina or South Carolina
-The Tar Heels only leave the Carolina's for three weekÂends (Tiger Invitational @ Auburn, Syracuse, Notre Dame)
- 34 games will take place at home in Anderson Stadium
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF/UTL
/ Softball
RHP/UTL
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
RHP
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