University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Georgia Tech
No. 12 Tar Heels Fall In Extra Innings
April 25, 2009 | Softball
April 25, 2009
ATLANTA - A single run by No. 20 Georgia Tech in the bottom of the eighth proved to be the difference Saturday afternoon in Atlanta as the Yellow Jackets took down No. 12 North Carolina, 3-2 in extra innings to claim a doubleheader. The loss drops Carolina to 44-9 on the year and 15-4 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, while Georgia Tech improves to 37-13 overall and 14-3 in the ACC as the Yellow Jackets leapfrog the Tar Heels to the top of the ACC standings. The Tar Heels will have a chance to take back to lead on Sunday when they meet the Yellow Jackets at 1 p.m. in the series finale.
A game after getting shut out and losing for the first time in 24 games the Carolina offense struck for a single run in the top of the first as leadoff hitter Christine Knauer slapped a single through the left side to get things going. Knauer then swiped her 26th base of the season before Breanna Brown moved her to third on a ground out. A walk to Danielle Spaulding put runners on the corners for Brittany McKinney who hit into a fielder's choice to score Knauer and give Carolina a 1-0 lead.
Georgia Tech evened the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the third as Jen Yee connected on a solo home run to the opposite field in left. The Yellow Jackets jumped ahead 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth with another long ball this time by Kelsi Weseman to right center field that swung the momentum in Georgia Tech's direction.
The Tar Heels answered right away with a solo home run of their own as the number nine hitter, Brittany Robinson, crushed a pitch down the left field line that hooked around the foul pole for a round-tripper knotting the score up at 2-2.
Carolina would load the bases with just one hit in the top of the sixth but a grounder to shortstop that was fielded on a backhand by Weseman and fired to first cut down the Tar Heel rally.
The Yellow Jackets would do the same in the bottom half of the sixth but a foul out by Yee would end the threat as starter Lisa Norris kept the game tied up at 2-2. A four-pitch inning in the top of the seventh put Georgia Tech back up to the plate but Norris delivered a stellar 1-2-3 inning to send the game into extra innings.
A leadoff single by Danielle Spaulding would go for naught in the top of the eighth as a a failed bunt attempt was followed up by a pair of strikeouts to end the inning.
Georgia Tech's Tiffany Johnson led off the eighth with a single back up the middle and moved to third on a strange play when Kristen Adkins hit a grounder back to the pitcher on a bunt but on the play Johnson ran into Brittany Robinson at second causing interference. Johnson did not stop on the play also running into an out at third but the senior slid into third safely putting runners at the corners with nobody out. An intentional walk loaded the bases for Carolina Hilton who dropped in the game-winning single to center field to score Johnson and give the Yellow Jackets the 3-2 win.
The Tar Heels and Yellow Jackets will meet again at 1 p.m. on Sunday in the series finale as Carolina looks to bounce back from its first doubleheader sweep since March 10 when Florida State took a pair of games from the Tar Heels.
