University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
DePaul
Carolina Drops Second Game In Time Warner Invitational
February 13, 2010 | Softball
Feb. 13, 2010
AUSTIN --- The No. 19/22 North Carolina Tar Heels dropped their second consecutive game in the Time Warner Invitational via a 3-1 loss at the hands of No. 20/21 DePaul Blue Demons. DePaul jumped on the Tar Heels early, scoring all three of their runs in the first two innings. Carolina fought back, but in the end could not string together enough hits to produce runs.
Senior pitcher Danielle Spaulding received the call for Head Coach Donna Papa's Tar Heels in the last game of pool play. Spaulding previously shut out LSU yesterday in Carolina's 1-0 win over the Tigers.
DePaul put a run on the board early when Simone Ashkar knocked in DePaul's leadoff hitter to give the Blue Demons a 1-0 lead. The earned run is Spaulding's first of the 2010 season. DePaul continued the early offensive surge advancing runners to second and third base. Spaulding kept her composure and forced the next two batters into outs to escape the first innning only giving up a single run.
In the second inning DePaul continued to work the count forcing Spaulding to walk two batters. Pinch hitter Katelyn Braget hit a line drive to the gap in left-center to knock in both runners. The two-RBI double gave DePaul a 3-0 lead.
Carolina again started slow offensively in the tournament. This time Carolina faced DePaul junior pitcher Lindsey Dean. The Tar Heels' hitless streak lasted through the first first two innings before Anna Roberts singled to left field. The hit was Dean's first given up this season after pitching four innings of hitless ball against LSU yesterday.
Even though the Robert's single did not result in any runs it gave Carolina confidence at the plate. The next inning both Ally Blake and Danielle Spaulding singled on grounders down the third base line. North Davidson High School teammates, now freshmen Tisha Mahon and Elisha Elliot pinch ran for Blake and Spaulding respectively. A ground ball to shortstop from Brittany Robinson scored Mahon from third. The RBI is Robinson's second this season, after yesterday's home run against LSU.
After the early trouble, Spaulding settled down and did not giving up a hit the next two innings. A leadoff double looked like it would spell trouble for the Tar Heels in the fifth, but Spaulding worked her way out of the jam and did not yield a run. Spaulding again ran into trouble in the seventh when Sean Plese tripled to knock in a run and put the game out-of-reach at 4-1.
North Carolina plays at 5 or 7:30 p.m. (CT) pending on the outcome of the 1:30 p.m. Texas vs. LSU game. Stay tuned to tarheelblue.com for the updated opponent and game time.
