University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Kentucky
Carolina Softball Defeats Kentucky and Houston
February 20, 2005 | Softball
Feb. 20, 2005
The University of North Carolina softball team defeated Kentucky and tournament host Houston to improve to 10-1 on the season Saturday on day two of the Crowne Plaza Classic in Houston, Texas. The Tar Heels blasted the Wildcats, 10-2, then closed out the night with a 2-1 win over the Cougars.
Carolina had its best offensive output of the season against Kentucky (1-13), scoring 10 unanswered runs after falling behind 2-0 in the first. Ashley Allen went the distance in the circle for the Tar Heels to improve to 3-0. Whitney Gelin had the big blow at the plate with a third inning grand slam, her second home run of the weekend. Casey Testa, Jaclyn Holden and Anna Evans each drove in a pair of runs, with Testa belting her first career homer.
In the second game of the day, the Tar Heels scored runs in the sixth and seventh to knock off the homestanding Houston Cougars (3-8). Pitchers Crystal Cox and Barbie Love battled to a scoreless tie through five innings, before Cassie Palmer broke the stalemate in the sixth. With one out, Gelin walked and advanced to second on a passed ball. Two batters later Palmer singled home Gelin to give UNC the lead.
Houston pulled even in the bottom half of the inning with a solo home run off the bat of Kristen Glowacz, but Carolina would answer in the seventh. Julia Bove got into scoring position with a one-out double, and advanced to third on a Holden single. Bove would come around to score the go-ahead run on a Testa sacrifice fly, and the Tar Heels took a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh. Cox (4-1) allowed only a harmless single and retired the side to end the game.
Carolina finishes up play in the Crowne Plaza Classic Sunday with an 11 a.m. tilt with No. 11 Baylor, a rematch of last season's epic showdown in the NCAA Tournament. In that game, the Bears and Tar Heels played 16 innings before Baylor pushed across the winning run to take a 1-0 decision. Cox allowed only four hits in 15.1 innings that day.
