University of North Carolina Athletics
Spaulding Crowned MVP & Champion Of European Cup
August 22, 2009 | Softball
Aug. 22, 2009
European Cup Recap
CHAPEL HILL - Danielle Spaulding and the Austrian Sharx defeated the Russian Carrousel BoscoSport 1-0 in the championship of the European Cup in Milan, Italy Saturday. Playing for the Austrian Sharx, Spaulding was crowned the tournament MVP and Best Pitcher.
Spaulding started the championship game forthe Sharx pitching 3.1 innings while allowing three hits, three walks and striking out five. Spaulding was relieved by Stacie Townsend, who pitched 3.2 innings allowing three hits and striking out three, improving her tournament record to 4-1. The Sharx used the Townsend and Spaulding combination win seven games and the European Cup.
The Rancho Cuchamonga, Calif. native and the Sharx reeled off seven straight wins to be crowned European Cup champs. Spaulding earned the tournament's MVP and Best Pitcher awards in the 2009 European Cup. At the plate, the junior was seventh in batting average (.409), second in slugging (.773), third in on-base percentage (.517), first in home runs (2) and second in RBIs (5). In the circle, Spaulding was first in ERA (0.23), first in opponents' batting average (.127), first in strikeouts (48) and third in wins (3). The 2009 NCAA Strikeout champion continued her impressive play striking out 11.08 batters per seven innings in the European Cup.
The two-time ACC Player of the Year led all of Division I pitchers with 14.3 strikeouts per seven innings, fanning 338 batters in only 165.3 innings pitched while recording a 20-4 record in 2009. Spaulding helped the Tar Heels to a 47-13 record in 2009 and a spot as an NCAA regional host for the second straight season. The standout junior led the Tar Heels in home runs (12) and RBIs (45), while ranking third in runs scored (22) and fourth in batting average (.311). In the circle, she paired with fellow teammate Lisa Norris to provide one of the strongest pitching duos in the country. The junior registered 13 complete games holding opponents to only a .124 batting average.
