Friday, February 7
Auburn, Ala.
12:30 PM CT/1:30 PM ET
North Carolina
1-0
8
vs
0
Appalachian State
1-1
1
2
3
4
5
6
R
H
E
Appalachian State
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
4
1
North Carolina
1
3
0
2
0
2
8
10
0
Softball Run-Rules App State, Falls To Auburn To Open Season
February 7, 2025 | Softball
AUBURN, Ala. – The Carolina softball team opened the season by run-ruling Appalachian State 8-0 in six innings and falling to Auburn 8-1 on Friday.
The Tar Heels got going early against App State, with Alex Coleman opening the game with a single. Three pitches later, Kat Rodriguez ripped a double into center field to plate Coleman.
One of the best stories in college softball so far in 2025 would get even better in the second inning. Kiannah Pierce last played 1,006 days ago, missing the previous two seasons due to injury. Not only did she start in left field in the season opener, but she got her first hit in her first at bat, taking an 0-2 pitch right back up the middle.
Rayna Blackwell came up next and belted a two-run home run to deep right center field to make it a 3-0 ball game. Later in the inning, Rodriguez picked up her second RBI of the day, when she singled home Grace Jackson and advancing to second on the throw.
Rodriguez's big day would continue in the fourth inning when she doubled home Jackson and Reece Outlaw to make it 6-0 Tar Heels. Rodriguez's massive Carolina debut finished with three hits, two doubles, and four RBI.
Kenna Raye Dark was dominant in the circle, throwing six shutout innings, striking out six along the way, only allowing four hits and zero walks.
In the sixth inning Blackwell homered again, marking her first career multi-home run game and the first by a Tar Heel since Autumn Owen hit two against Pitt on April 13, 2024. Later in the inning Shelby Barbee picked up her first hit in Carolina blue to end the game, driving in Grace Jackson.
Newcomers drove in all eight runs (Rodriguez 4, Blackwell 3, Barbee 1).
Game two opened quick with Sanaa Thompson driving in Alex Coleman but that would be all the Tar Heels could bring in as errors gave Auburn a big advantage early on.
Kiannah Pierce made a highlight play in the second, gunning down an Auburn runner at the plate to close the inning.
Alexandra Bacher and Lilly Parrish each notched their first career strikeouts.
Despite being down 8-1 in the third, Nikki Harris came in and threw three innings of one-hit, scoreless ball. She had three strikeouts.
Grace Jackson had a solid day across the two games finishing with four hits, three runs, and a walk.
The Tar Heels are back in action tomorrow with a game against App State and Southern Illinois.
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The Tar Heels got going early against App State, with Alex Coleman opening the game with a single. Three pitches later, Kat Rodriguez ripped a double into center field to plate Coleman.
One of the best stories in college softball so far in 2025 would get even better in the second inning. Kiannah Pierce last played 1,006 days ago, missing the previous two seasons due to injury. Not only did she start in left field in the season opener, but she got her first hit in her first at bat, taking an 0-2 pitch right back up the middle.
Rayna Blackwell came up next and belted a two-run home run to deep right center field to make it a 3-0 ball game. Later in the inning, Rodriguez picked up her second RBI of the day, when she singled home Grace Jackson and advancing to second on the throw.
Rodriguez's big day would continue in the fourth inning when she doubled home Jackson and Reece Outlaw to make it 6-0 Tar Heels. Rodriguez's massive Carolina debut finished with three hits, two doubles, and four RBI.
Kenna Raye Dark was dominant in the circle, throwing six shutout innings, striking out six along the way, only allowing four hits and zero walks.
In the sixth inning Blackwell homered again, marking her first career multi-home run game and the first by a Tar Heel since Autumn Owen hit two against Pitt on April 13, 2024. Later in the inning Shelby Barbee picked up her first hit in Carolina blue to end the game, driving in Grace Jackson.
Newcomers drove in all eight runs (Rodriguez 4, Blackwell 3, Barbee 1).
Game two opened quick with Sanaa Thompson driving in Alex Coleman but that would be all the Tar Heels could bring in as errors gave Auburn a big advantage early on.
Kiannah Pierce made a highlight play in the second, gunning down an Auburn runner at the plate to close the inning.
Alexandra Bacher and Lilly Parrish each notched their first career strikeouts.
Despite being down 8-1 in the third, Nikki Harris came in and threw three innings of one-hit, scoreless ball. She had three strikeouts.
Grace Jackson had a solid day across the two games finishing with four hits, three runs, and a walk.
The Tar Heels are back in action tomorrow with a game against App State and Southern Illinois.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Dark, Kenna Raye (1-0)
L: Sophie Moshos (1-1)
Batting:
2B: Grace Barrett 2
Batting:
2B: Kat Rodriguez 2
3B: Horton, Sydney 1
HR: Blackwell, Rayna 2
RBI: Kat Rodriguez 4 ; Barbee, Shelby 1 ; Blackwell, Rayna 3
SH: Jennings, Raegan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jennings, Raegan 1 ; Pierce, Kiannah 1 ; Blackwell, Rayna 2 ; Outlaw, Reece 1 ; Horton, Sydney 3
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
0
H
3
RBI
4
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
3
AB
2
R
3
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballC
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
LHP
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
C/INF
/ Softball
RHP/UTL
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
OF
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