University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
NC State
Tar Heels Split Doubleheader With Wolfpack
April 27, 2005 | Softball
April 27, 2005
RALEIGH, N.C. --- Jessica Young hit a pair of home runs and Crystal Cox tossed a two-hit shutout in game two to lead the University of North Carolina softball team to a split against homestanding NC State Wednesday night at the Walnut Creek Softball Complex. The Tar Heels dropped game one, 4-3, then rallied to take game two, 3-0.
Carolina (36-24, 9-8 ACC) got on top early in game one, courtesy of Young's fifth home run of the season. After Cassie Palmer led off the game with a single, Marissa May and Anna Evans were unable to move her up. But Young blasted a 3-2 pitch over the left field fence to give the Tar Heels a 2-0 lead.
UNC added an insurance run in the third, thanks to the NC State (39-23, 6-7 ACC) defense. After Palmer singled, May and Evans both reached on Wolfpack errors, the second of which allowed Palmer to score. The Tar Heels were unable to capitalize further, however, as Jaclyn Holden popped out and Jennifer Jacobs struck out to end the rally.
Crystal Cox (20-15) held NC State in check until the bottom of the sixth inning. Heather Gelbard led off the frame with a solid single. After a strikeout, Cox issued back-to-back walks to load the bases for Wolfpack pitcher Abbie Sims (18-7). Sims belted a 1-1 pitch over the left field fence to clear the bases and give NC State a 4-3 lead. The four runs broke Cox's scoreless streak of 33.1 innings. Sims struck out the side in the top of the seventh to win the game, the first ever meeting between the two teams in Raleigh.
Again in game two, Young provided the Tar Heels with an early lead. The Santa Ana, Calif., senior lifted a 1-0 pitch over the right field fence to start the second inning and give UNC a 1-0 lead.
After Cox and Wolfpack starter Shaina Ervin (12-13) exchanged zeroes for several innings, Carolina threatened again the fifth. With one out, Palmer singled up the middle and May reached on an error to put runners on first and second. Evans then singled, with Palmer holding at third. May did not see Palmer, however, ran to the occupied base and was tagged out after a rundown. Young then grounded out on a nice play by State third baseman Jen Chamberlin to end the rally, keeping the score at 1-0.
But Young would strike again in the seventh. Ervin walked the bases loaded with two outs, and Young dropped a double into shallow left to plate Joslin Higgins and Theresa Nicholas, pushing the Carolina lead to 3-0. Cox would nail down the night cap, striking out the side to end the game, and earn UNC a split.
The series finale, and Carolina's final regular season game of 2005, is set for 7 p.m. Thursday night.
