University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
George Washington
Carolina Opens 2008 Season With Big Win
February 8, 2008 | Softball
Feb. 8, 2008
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - A 16 run first inning propelled the North Carolina softball team to a record breaking 21-1 season-opening win over George Washington on Friday in the second game of the Carolina Classic. The Tar Heels finished with 11 hits on the day, while pushing a school record 21 runs across in the five inning contest as junior Amber Johnson earned her first win of the 2008 season. Whitney Allen finished the game with five RBIs and three runs scored as she connected on the third home run of her career.
Johnson was provided quite a bit of run support before she toed the slab as her teammates scored 16 runs in the top of the first on just six hits. Cassie Palmer got things going as she sent a ball over the left field fence to put the Tar Heels up 2-0. Five consecutive walks made the score 4-0 before Allen drove in her first run of the game with a fielder's choice to second base. A Christine Knauer infield single made it 6-0 before Breanna Brown cleared the bases with a single that the rightfielder misplayed and allowed Brown to race around the bases for the 10th run of the inning.
A two run single by Anna Roberts, after another Alyssa Francona RBI walk, made the score 13-0 before Allen connected on a blast to right field. Allen's third career home run completed the scoring in the first as the Tar Heels set a new single-inning runs scored record with the 16 in the first frame.
The Tar Heels tacked on two more in the second as Danielle Spaulding connected on a home run down the right field line as she drove in Brown who walked earlier in the inning. Allen contributed an RBI single in the third and would later score to put Carolina up 20-0 before Ashley Oxendine tallied an RBI single for the final Tar Heel run. George Washington picked up its lone run in the bottom of the fourth as neither team scored in the fifth to end the game.
Six different Tar Heels tallied two or more RBIs led by Allen's five and Anna Roberts who turned in three on the day. Freshman Faith Sutton made her first collegiate appearance in the circle as she provided an inning and a third of scoreless relief for Carolina.
