University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Charlotte
No. 12 Carolina Takes Down Charlotte
April 22, 2009 | Softball
April 22, 2009
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The duo of Danielle Spaulding and Lisa Norris continued their impressive seasons in the circle Wednesday night against Charlotte and helped the No. 12 Tar Heels to their 23rd consecutive win. The 2-0 victory improved Carolina's overall mark to 44-7 on the year, while dropping Charlotte to 27-13 on the season. The Tar Heels will head to Atlanta this weekend for a three-game series against No. 20 Georgia Tech to help decide the top spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Carolina picked up an unearned in the bottom of the first when Breanna Brown drew a one-out walk. Brown then stole second base and as the throw went into center field she rose to her feet and raced around third and beat the throw to the plate to score the first run of the game.
Danielle Spaulding got the call in the circle for the second consecutive day and threw three no-hit innings while racking up six strikeouts. The Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., native sits at 299 on the season, the third-most in school single season history.
Lisa Norris came on in the fourth and threw a pair of scoreless frames before the Tar Heel bats nearly pushed across a run in the bottom of the fifth. Brittany McKinney laced a double off the center field wall that appeared to still be rising when it hit the top of the wall. A fly out to right put one out on the board before Norris wrapped a single through the left side to put runners on the corners. A strikeout and a pop out would end the Tar Heel threat and keep the margin at just 1-0.
Norris set down the side in order in the sixth before her offense provided an insurance run in the sixth. Leadoff hitter Christine Knauer dropped down a perfect bunt for an infield single to get things started. Knauer then swiped her team-leading 25th base of the season before Danielle Spaulding roped a single into the gap in right center to easily score Knauer from second and put Carolina in front 2-0.
A leadoff single by the 49ers in the top of the seventh was quickly nullified by Norris as the senior closed out her last regular season home game with a fly out, a strike out and a ground out to improve her record to 22-4 on the season.
Norris and the Tar Heels will travel to Atlanta this weekend to take on No. 20 Georgia Tech (35-13, 12-3 ACC) in a three-game series set to begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday. All three games can be seen on ACC Select.
