University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Illinois State
Tar Heels Fall To Redbirds, 11-4
February 18, 2007 | Softball
Feb. 18, 2007
TEMPE, ARIZ. --- North Carolina ran into an Illinois State offensive onslaught in their final game of the Littlewood Classic at Farrington Stadium Sunday as the Redbirds (7-3) belted five home runs, including a grand slam, to beat the Tar Heels 11-4. The loss dropped UNC to 2-3 on the weekend and 4-5 overall
The Redbirds' bats were hot from the outset as they used two doubles in the top of the first inning to plate a run and take an early 1-0 lead. They almost extended their lead to two, but Breanna Brown fielded a hit in centerfield and threw a dart to catcher Whitney Gelin, whose tag on an Illinois State baserunner trying to score from second ended the inning.
Cassie Palmer picked up her fourth leadoff hit of the weekend to get things started in the Tar Heels' half. After stealing second and advancing to third on a wild pitch, Palmer evened the score at 1-1 when she was awarded home on an illegal pitch. The Tar Heels managed to put two more on base in the frame but couldn't grab the lead.
North Carolina opened the second inning with a Joslin Higgins single to right field and a Whitney Allen infield single to chase Illinois State starter Stacy Birk. This time, UNC was able to capitalize as Cassie Palmer tallied her second hit of the game with a line-drive double to left center to bring home Christine Knauer, who was running for Higgins. An error by Redbird second baseman Tiffany Prager allowed two more runs to score as Palmer, who was moving on the pitch, came all the way from second to beat the tag at home. Allen scored from third on the play and the Heels ended the inning up 4-1.
After a scoreless third, Illinois State came back in a big way in the fourth. A two-run drive over the centerfield fence off the bat of Casey Gorrell brought the Redbirds within one, and when Norris followed that by giving up a walk and a hit, Amber Johnson replaced her in the circle. Johnson walked the next two batters, bringing one run home to knot the score at four. A grand slam by Redbird rightfielder Kelsey Warning broke the tie in a hurry, capping a seven-run fourth for Illinois State as ISU took an 8-4 lead.
Another home run by Gorrell pushed the Illinois State advantage to five in the top of the fifth. The Tar Heels threatened in their half, loading the bases with two outs, but ISU pitcher Shannon Nicholson induced a groundout from Higgins to put an end to UNC's inning.
Warning added her second homer of the day to lead off the sixth, sending a shot over the centerfield wall, and Jackie Williams helped set an Illinois State single-game record by giving the Redbirds their fifth home run of the game in the seventh, pushing the score to 11-4.
Nicholson pitched six innings and gave up only one run to get the win, moving her record to 2-2, while Norris (2-4) took the loss for the Tar Heels.
Carolina will next take on Elon in a Wednesday doubleheader rescheduled from last week. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.
