Wednesday, February 26
Chapel Hill, N.C.
6 PM
North Carolina
vs
Elon
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Softball Set To Host Elon On Wednesday
February 25, 2025 | Softball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C – The Carolina softball team (12-3) hosts Elon (5-7) on Wednesday at 6:00 PM on ACCNX. Carolina is riding a three-game winning streak behind the stellar pitching of Nikki Harris and Kenna Raye Dark. Harris stole with her first career no-hitter. Dark also dominated throwing not one, but two complete game shutouts last weekend. She now leads the country with five on the year.
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NEWS & NOTES
- The third consecutive win over Elon
- The ninth consecutive win overall at home
- She faced the minimum after Rayna Blackwell threw a would-be base stealer out in the first inning
- Harris struck out four en route to her first career no-no
- It is the first time the Heels have strung together three consecutive shutouts since April 4-9, 2019 when they had four in a row
- Through eight games, Carolina hitters are slashing .401/.487/.597 and have pushed 65 runs across
- Pitching has been just as dominant. Throwing to the tune of a 0.58 ERA with a perfect game, no-hitter, and three other complete game shutouts
- Outscoring teams 65-5 at home, four of the eight games have ended early by run rule
- 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
- 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)
- Her efforts on the week won her ACC Player of the Week on 2.18
- 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
- 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 RBI
- In her first start of the season, Raeghan Carlson was a triple away from the cycle to go along with two RBI
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
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
- 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 transfers/7 freshmen)
- Parrish was a top-20 ranked recruit who is considered one of the top two-way freshman in the country
- Ella Fox was also named to the Softball America Watch List
- 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
- The Fox sisters are two of seven siblings, they have three sisters and two brothersÂ
- Head Coach Megan Smith Lyon is quoted as saying ""If you ask anybody on our team who works the hardest, who does everything the right way all the time, they'll all say Ella, Always."
-The Tar Heels only leave the Carolina's for three weekends (Tiger Invitational @ Auburn, Syracuse, Notre Dame)
- 34 games will take place at home in Anderson
Stadium
LEGACY LEGACY LEGACY
- Britton Rogers is the daughter of Courtney Blades-Rogers, one of the most accomplished pitchers in NCAA history. She completed her career with 1,773 strikeouts (fifth in NCAA history), ranks second all-time with 215 wins, and holds the record for 52 victories in a season among many other pitching accomplishments from her Southern Miss career
children, a son, Ziggy, and a daughter, Zorah
- Coach Kiwi was inducted into the Jordan-Matthews High School Hall of Fame on Jan. 24, 2025
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NEWS & NOTES
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A WIN WOULD...
- Be better than a lossA WIN WOULD...
- The third consecutive win over Elon
- The ninth consecutive win overall at home
NIKKI SAYS NO-NO
- On Feb. 23 Nikki Harris through the 57th no-hitter in program history in the 11-0 win over Wagner- She faced the minimum after Rayna Blackwell threw a would-be base stealer out in the first inning
- Harris struck out four en route to her first career no-no
PITCHING RULES EVERYTHING AROUND ME
- Over the past weekend UNC pitchers threw a no-hitter and two more complete game shutouts- It is the first time the Heels have strung together three consecutive shutouts since April 4-9, 2019 when they had four in a row
WE MUST PROTECT CHAPEL HILL
- The Heels have been dominant at Anderson Softball Stadium this season, starting the year 8-0 at home- Through eight games, Carolina hitters are slashing .401/.487/.597 and have pushed 65 runs across
- Pitching has been just as dominant. Throwing to the tune of a 0.58 ERA with a perfect game, no-hitter, and three other complete game shutouts
- Outscoring teams 65-5 at home, four of the eight games have ended early by run rule
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)
- Her efforts on the week won her ACC Player of the Week on 2.18
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
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 RBI
- 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 inCarolina 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 newcomersaccounted 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 transfers/7 freshmen)
THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT
- Freshman Lilly Parrish was named to both the D100 Freshman Watch List and the Softball America Freshman Watch List- Parrish was a top-20 ranked recruit who is considered 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 brothersÂ
- Head Coach Megan Smith Lyon is quoted as saying ""If you ask anybody on our team who works the hardest, 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 weekends (Tiger Invitational @ Auburn, Syracuse, Notre Dame)
- 34 games will take place at home in Anderson
Stadium
LEGACY LEGACY LEGACY
- Britton Rogers is the daughter of Courtney Blades-Rogers, one of the most accomplished pitchers in NCAA history. She completed her career with 1,773 strikeouts (fifth in NCAA history), ranks second all-time with 215 wins, and holds the record for 52 victories in a season among many other pitching accomplishments from her Southern Miss career
OUR LEADER
-Â Head coach Megan Smith Lyon played for UNC head coach Donna J. Papa from 1996-1999 and served as team captain in her senior season. She still ranks sixth in career assists (380) and was named the team's Most Outstanding Defensive Player in 1999. She also joined her former head coaches' staff as an assistant in 2004. Smith's hometown is Walkertown, a little over an hour's drive to Chapel Hill
FAMILIAR FACE ON STAFF
-Â Assistant coach Kiwi Mateen James, a former UNC softball player (2013-2016) is married to former UNC basketball player Joel James and they have twochildren, a son, Ziggy, and a daughter, Zorah
- Coach Kiwi was inducted into the Jordan-Matthews High School Hall of Fame on Jan. 24, 2025
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Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
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C
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OF
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LHP
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INF/UTL
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RHP/UTL
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INF
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RHP
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