University of North Carolina Athletics
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East Carolina
No. 25 Carolina Falls To ECU In Eight Innings, 2-1
March 8, 2006 | Softball
March 8, 2006
GREENVILLE, N.C. --- Pirate starter Keli Harrell held the Tar Heel offense to just four hits and one run in eight innings as the No. 25 North Carolina softball team fell to East Carolina in eight innings, 2-1, Wednesday afternoon at the ECU Softball Field. Sophomore left fielder Ashley Oxendine had two of Carolina's four hits on the day.
UNC (14-5) got things started early, scoring its only run in the top of the first inning. Sophomore second baseman Cassie Palmer led off with a single and advanced to second on Oxendine's sacrifice bunt, her team-high seventh of the year. Palmer then took third on a ground out and scored on a wild pitch.
ECU (15-5) evened the score in the third on an RBI double by Erin St. Ledger. Ashley Quick reached on a one-out single and advanced second on a sacrifice. St. Ledger then drove home quick to make it 1-all.
The two teams would combine for just two hits over the next four innings, with neither squad threatening until the seventh. In the top of the frame, junior shortstop Anna Evans reached on a error and took second on a Breanna Brown sacrifice. After pinch hitter Lisa Norris was hit by a pitch, freshman Emily Troup struck out to end the threat.
Paige Baggett led off the bottom of the seventh with a double for the Pirates, and pinch runner Brently Bridgeforth took third on a sacrifice. But Carolina starter Crystal Cox (5-4) was able to get out of the jam with a strikeout and a fly out.
The eighth inning started with a runner on second by virtue of the international tiebreaker. Junior Marissa May ran for the Tar Heels but was stranded on third after a pop up and two groundouts.
East Carolina finally capitalized in the bottom of the eighth. Krista Jessup, the runner placed on second, took third on a sacrifice. Jessica Johnson then delivered the final blow, driving home Jessup on a run-scoring single.
The Tar Heels will return to action Friday with the start of the Florida State Invitational in Tallahassee, Fla.
