North Carolina
UL-Lafayette
Carolina Softball Falls to Top Ten Foes
February 26, 2005 | Softball
Feb. 26, 2005
COLUMBUS, Ga. --- The University of North Carolina softball team dropped a pair of games to top 10 opponents Saturday, falling 4-0 to No. 6 Louisiana-Lafayette and 1-0 to No. 7 Alabama on day two of the NFCA Leadoff Classic. Crystal Cox (6-3) and Alison Yin (4-1) both took losses despite solid efforts in the circle.
Game one featured a dominating performance by UL-Lafayette pitcher Brooke Mitchell. Mitchell (12-1), who sports an ERA of less than 0.50, struckout 10 and allowed only four hits, three of which never left the infield. Carolina's best chance to score came in the first, when Marissa May led off with a bunt single and advanced to second on a sacrifice. But Jaclyn Holden and Casey Testa each struck out swinging, and UNC never put another baserunner in scoring position.
The Ragin' Cajuns scored all the runs they would need in the fourth inning. After a single, throwing error and walk loaded the bases, Lacey Bertucci walked to force in the first run of the game. Tara Hamilton would then add a sacrifice fly to make the score 2-0. UL-Lafayette added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth. Bertucci led off the frame with a home run, and Ashley Evans scored on an RBI single.
Cox struggled with her control for the first time all weekend, as she walked six batters to go with just three Cajun hits.
The Tar Heels faced Alabama and ace pitcher Stephanie VanBrakle in the night's second game. VanBrakle (8-1) carried a perfect game into the fifth before allowing back-to-back solid singles to Jessica Young and Julia Bove. Yin and VanBrakle battled to a scoreless tie before the Crimson Tide (19-2) finally scratched in the top of the fifth. With a runner on second, Staci Ramsey reached on a two-out swinging bunt. Yin threw wildly to first in an effort to get the out, allowing Ashley Courtney to score what would be the winning run.
Yin allowed six hits and no earned runs in seven innings to take the hard-luck loss.
Carolina will now move to the consolation side of the Silver bracket to face Cal State Northridge Sunday morning at 9 a.m.
