University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Canisius
Carolina Tops Canisius, 8-2
March 5, 2006 | Softball
March 5, 2006
CHAPEL HILL --- Sophomore first baseman Jennifer Jacobs was 2 for 3 with two home runs and four RBIs to lead No. 24 North Carolina to an 8-2 win over Canisius Sunday in the final game of the Tar Heel Invitational. Sophomore left fielder Ashley Oxendine was 3 for 4 and freshman third baseman Alyssa Francona drove in a pair of runs.
Canisius (4-5) got on the board right away thanks to a leadoff home run by second baseman Katie Miranto. But Carolina (14-4) starter Amber Johnson settled down and retired the side with a pair of strikeouts and a groundout.
The Tar Heel bats got going in the second, as the hosts tied the score at 1-all. Evans led off with a solid double and moved to third on Breanna Brown's slap double to left. Evans then scored on Francona's fielder's choice to second, evening the score. But that was all Carolina would get, as Canisius starter Lindsay Garbacz set down the next three batters in order.
UNC would get two more in the third with a little help from the Golden Griffins. After a leadoff single by Oxendine, Canisius passed up an out by trying to retire Oxendine at second on Jacobs' sacrifice attempt. Oxendine and Jacobs then moved up a base on a wild pitch, and Jacobs scored two batters later on Brown's bases-loaded walk. Erica Ennis, who had walked earlier, then scored on Francona's sacrifice fly.
Carolina would add a run in the fifth, courtesy of Jacobs' third home run of the year. After reliever Lisa Norris gave a run back in the top of the sixth, the Tar Heels put the game out of reach in the bottom half. Freshman Emily Troup led off the frame with her first career home run. Four batters later, Jacobs connected again, blasting a long home run to left center to plate Cassie Palmer and Oxendine. Norris would allow a harmless single in the seventh, finishing out the contest to earn her first career save.
Jacobs, Palmer and senior pitcher Crystal Cox were named to the all-tournament team. South Carolina was the Tar Heel Invitational champion after finishing the weekend with a 5-0 record.
The Tar Heels will now travel to East Carolina for a Wednesday afternoon single game. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.
