University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
NC State
No. 14 Tar Heels Advance Past NC State In ACC Opener
May 8, 2009 | Softball
May 8, 2009
RALEIGH, N.C. - A 16 strikeout performance by Danielle Spaulding helped propel No. 14 North Carolina (45-10) past NC State (23-25), 3-1, in the opening game of the ACC Tournament Friday afternoon in Raleigh, N.C. Brittany McKinney drove in a pair of runs for the Tar Heels who will take on the winner of the Florida State vs. Boston College quarterfinal at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
The Tar Heels took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third when Brittany McKinney drove in a pair of runs with a two-out single. A lead off walk by Brittany Robinson started the rally before Christine Knauer drew a free pass as well to put a pair of runners on. Breanna Brown dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners up, a ground out by Danielle Spaulding put two outs on the board before McKinney drove a pitch through the left side scoring both Robinson and Knauer.
Alyssa Allbritten cut the deficit in half in the top of the fourth when she connected on a 1-2 pitch which she sent over the left center field fence. Another lead off walk started the fourth but the Tar Heels were unable to produce a run in the inning.
Starter Danielle Spaulding picked up strikeouts for all 12 outs through the first four frames before Emily Troup grabbed a liner in the fifth to snap the streak before Spaulding tallied her 14th strikeout of the day to end a 1-2-3 fifth inning.
rown led off the fifth with a double off the wall in left center to get another rally going for the Tar Heels. Following a strikeout Brittany McKinney legged out an infield single in the hole to put a pair of runners on for Troup who looped a single into right center to score Brown from second and put Carolina in front 3-1.
The Wolfpack got a threat going in the top of the sixth when Allbritten reached first on a dropped throw at first. Spaulding settled down and picked up back-to-back strikeouts and looked like she would escape trouble but a pair of walks loaded the bases and ended the day for the ACC Player of the Year.
Senior Lisa Norris came on in relief and struck out Toni Ann Williford to end the threat and keep Carolina in front by a 3-1 margin. A one-out single by Alyssa Ishibashi would go for naught in NC State's final at bat as Norris sat down the next two batters to earn her fourth save of the year. The save pushed the senior right-hander's career total to 11, surpassing the mark of Crystal Cox for the school record.
Carolina will take on the winner of the second quarterfinal of the day between second-seeded Florida State and seventh-seeded Boston College at 1 p.m. on Saturday in the first semifinal.
