University of North Carolina Athletics
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NC State
Carolina Falls to NC State in ACC Tournament Opener
May 12, 2005 | Softball
May 12, 2005
COLLEGE PARK, Md. --- The fifth-seeded University of North Carolina softball team lost its opening game in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament Thursday, 2-0, to fourth-seeded NC State. Wolfpack pitcher Abbie Sims tossed a two-hit shutout, and Miranda Ervin and Jen Chamberlin hit solo home runs. Crystal Cox allowed just four hits and two runs over six innings in the circle for the Tar Heels.
Both teams threatened in the first innings, as both UNC and NC State put mulitple runners in scoring position. After two quick outs in the top of the frame, Carolina (36-26) loaded the bases with a single, a hit by pitch and a walk. But Jaclyn Holden struck out swinging to end the rally. In the bottom half, the Pack (41-23) put runners on second and third with a pair of singles and an error. Cox (20-17) escaped, however, by inducing a pop out.
The two squads traded zeroes until the bottom of the fourth, when Ervin drilled a 3-2 pitch over the fence in left to make the score 1-0.
Carolina missed tying the game in the fifth by mere inches. Erica Ennis ripped the first pitch from Abbie Sims (20-7) off the padding at the top of the left field fence for a hard-luck double. Pinch runner Ashley Oxendine advanced to third on a Julia Bove sacrifice, but was stranded there after back-to-back strikeouts.
NC State added an insurance run in the sixth when Chamberlin hit a one-out solo shot to left.
UNC will now move to the loser's bracket, with its next game coming Friday at 5:00 p.m.
