University of North Carolina Athletics
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Florida State
Top-Seeded FSU Edges UNC 3-2 In ACC Softball Tourney
May 10, 2002 | Softball
May 10, 2002
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Beth Wade's squeeze bunt in the seventh inning scored Brandi Stuart with the game-winning run as Florida State defeated North Carolina, 3-2, at the 2002 Atlantic Coast Conference Softball Championship at the Seminole Softball Complex.
Florida State (49-15) has never lost an opening-round game (11-0) in the ACC championship and will face Georgia Tech in the winner's bracket tomorrow at 1 p.m. The Yellow Jackets advanced by defeating Maryland in nine innings, 1-0, earlier in the day. UNC returns to action Saturday at 5 p.m., playing the winner of an 11. a.m. game between Maryland and Virginia.
Stuart led off the Florida State seventh with a walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Kimmy Carter. Monique Marrier singled to shortstop and advanced to second when UNC's Dionne Streete attempted to throw out Stuart at third. Wade followed with a perfect bunt in front of home plate for victory.
"We just couldn't close it out against Florida State," UNC coach Donna Papa said. "It was one of those games that went back and forth. Florida State did a great job executing that suicide squeeze."
Florida State tied the contest in the sixth when Becky Brock scored on a wild pitch from North Carolina's Shannon Walsh (13-15).
Leslie Malerich went the distance for the Seminoles and improved to 29-10 on the season. She allowed an earned run on seven hits while striking out six.
North Carolina (32-29) took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth inning. Kelly Ramsey led off with a double to right and would be replaced by pinch runner Lauren Parker. She would score on Brandi Griffin's triple to right center. Griffin would later score on a passed ball to give the Tar Heels a 2-1 lead.
Florida State got on the scoreboard first in the third inning. Jessica van der Linden singled with one out and advanced to second on a walk by Carter. After an illegal pitch moved both runners up, Marier's sacrifice fly to right scored van der Linden for a 1-0 Seminole lead.
Live statistics and recaps of all the games of the 2002 ACC Softball Championship are available at www.theACC.com.
