University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
St. Joseph's
Newcomers, Dark Power Softball To 4-1 Win In Season Opener
February 5, 2026 | Softball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C.- Kenna Raye Dark notched her 30th career complete game as Carolina opened the season with a 4-1 victory over St. Joseph's on Thursday, Feb 5.
The offense started to heat up courtesy of Sanaa Thompson's triple in the fourth. In her first start as a Tar Heel, Lindsay Lumsden broke the seal on the offense, as her sac-fly brought Thompson home.
The bats were working overtime in the bottom of the fifth as Carolina plated three more runs behind Sydney Horton's first career hit. In her Tar Heel debut, Michele Tarpey brought Horton home with a sac-fly. Emily LeGette followed the Horton score with a single to center for the final two runs of the night.
Dark shone in her season debut, twirling yet another complete game with three strikeouts and only allowing a single run.
Inside the Box Score:
- Today's victory was the 76th time in program history and fourth under Coach Smith-Lyon that a Carolina softball game ended 4-1.
- 30th career complete game for Dark
- Four players made their Tar Heel or collegiate debuts.
- 44th appearance in which Dark has given up 1 or fewer runs
Carolina returns to Anderson at 2:00 p.m. EST tomorrow to take on Elon.
Team Stats
Batting:
RBI: Shearer, Julia 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hasapis, Elyssa 1
SB: Brown, Grace 1 ; Hasapis, Elyssa 1
Batting:
2B: Blackwell, Rayna 1
3B: Thompson, Sanaa 1
RBI: Lumsden, Lindsay 1 ; Tarpey, Michele 1 ; LeGette, Emily 2
SF: Lumsden, Lindsay 1 ; Tarpey, Michele 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Roberts, Lexie 1 ; Horton, Sydney 1 ; Thompson, Sanaa 1 ; Jennings, Raegan 1
SB: Tarpey, Michele 1
