Carolina Wins Pitchers' Duel to Take Notre Dame Series

Sunday, March 25

Notre Dame, Ind.

2 PM

North Carolina

16-16, 0

Notre Dame

20-10, 0

North Carolina

Notre Dame

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

March 25, 2018 | Softball

Box Score

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Coming down to the final inning, Carolina came out on top in a 1-0 pitchers' duel against Notre Dame to take the series Sunday. Brittany Pickett tossed a five-hit shutout with six strikeouts while Berlynne Delamora plated the game-winning run in the top of seventh with two outs for Carolina's sixth ACC win of the season.

"I'm super proud of this team and the resiliency they had today after how we left the field yesterday," head coach Donna J. Papa said. "It was a great pitcher's duel between Brittany Pickett and Alexis Holloway. I told the team it was going to be a one-run game and who ever scored first would win and that would be us.

Kiani Ramsey scored the lone run of the game with two hits on the day. Taylor Wike, Katelyn Shifflett and Sierra Parkinson each logged a hit in the game to keep Carolina's scoring changes alive throughout the game. However, it was Delamora's RBI-single in the seventh that clinched the win. Pickett tossed her 14th win of the season as the Tar Heels improved to 16-15 overall, 6-3 in ACC play.

"To have Berlynne have been on the bench for a long time and come in and perform the way that she did," Papa said. "I'm so proud because she has put in so much work. Brittany was outstanding today. She hit her spots and shut down a very good hitting Notre Dame team."

Notre Dame threatened early on, loading the bases in the first inning with no outs due to a pair of singles and a hit-by-pitch. However, Carolina worked out of the jam on a pair of infield flies and a ground out, ending Notre Dame's best chance to score.

In the second, Shifflett doubled to left and Delamora drew a walk to put two on. Parkinson singled to left, however the Irish got the tag at home to end the frame.

The Irish threatened again in the fourth. However, Carolina turned a double play in the fourth as Parkinson tossed it to Wike for the first out at second before throwing to Shifflett for the final out of the inning.

In the top of the seventh, Ramsey singled to the shortstop setting the stage for Shifflett's sac-bunt. With two outs on the board, Delamora laced the ball through the left side on an 0-1 count for the game-winning run.

Notre Dame did not quit as Katie Marino sent a double to the warning track. With the tying run on third, Pickett caught the batter looking for her sixth strikeout and the win.

"This team just played so well together today," Papa said. "I'm proud of winning a series on the road and Notre Dame had really been on a roll coming into the weekend. It was a great day for us to win the series."

Both Pickett and Holloway tossed complete games in the circle with Pickett earning the win and Holloway, the loss. Notre Dame falls to 20-10 overall, 5-3 in conference.

"It gives us a lot of confidence. Today was a grind. Both teams were grinding it out and making plays. We were hitting the ball on the ground and found one to sneak through for both Berlynne and Kiani. I told the girls to seize the moment and that's what we did today."

After reaching the halfway-point in their 10-game road trip, the Tar Heels travel to Winthrop Wednesday for a single game at 6 p.m. in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

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