University of North Carolina Athletics
Next Up: Virginia Tech Hokies
April 22, 2010 | Softball
April 22, 2010
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. --- The North Carolina Tar Heels softball team travels to Blacksburg, Va. for a three-game series with the Virginia Tech Hokies. Carolina carries a 36-15 overall record and 9-9 Atlantic Coast Conference record into the weekend, while the Hokies enter at 19-29 overall and a 5-10 record in ACC league play. Game times are set for noon and 2 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
About This Weekend
Saturday's softball games coincide with Virginia Tech's spring football game scheduled for 2 p.m. Due to the close proximity of the softball and football stadiums, there will not be parking is reserved for softball spectators. Parking will be first-come, first-park starting at 9 a.m. Saturday morning for both football and softball fans.
This Week In Carolina Softball
This last weekend the Tar Heels met up with the Maryland Terrapins for a three-game series in Chapel Hill. Carolina lost both games of the Saturday doubleheader by the scores of 5-2 and 2-1. UNC responded on Sunday by winning the series finale, 4-0, over the Terrapins. The 1-2 in-conference record brought Carolina's season total to 9-9 (fifth in the ACC) on the year.
On Sunday, Carolina Softball celebrated the careers of the 2010 Senior Class. The class consisted of: pitcher Amber Johnson, shortstop Christine Knauer, first baseman Stephanie Murad, outfielder Anna Roberts and pitcher/first baseman Danielle Spaulding. The class was a part of 179 wins during their careers and was part of memorable Carolina events such as: the 50-win season of 2008, Coach Donna Papa's 800th and 900th win and victories over top-ten nationally-ranked teams Georgia Tech, Stanford and Cal.
In the mid-week action, the Tar Heels faced off against in-state Appalachian State Tuesday evening for a single game. Senior Stephanie Murad hit two home runs as Carolina rolled the Mountaineers, 6-2. Pitchers Danielle Spaulding and Amber Johnson combined to hold Appalachian State to two runs in the Tar Heel victory.
Who's Hot
Christine Knauer, a shortstop from Long Island, N.Y., batted 7 for 11 (.636) in this past week's four games. The senior, in addition to the seven hits, added three walks to post an incredible .714 on-base percentage for the week.
Stephanie Murad continued her torrid April pace by going 5 for 12 and hitting two home runs for the Tar Heels this week. In April, the senior first baseman from Greenville, N.C., has led Carolina with 11 runs, a .381 average, 14 RBIs and 33 total bases in the month's 14 games.
Danielle Spaulding notched both of Carolina's wins this week to up her season total to 16. In the last 14 games, Spaulding has posted a 0.75 earned run average, with 99 strikeouts in 56 innings pitched. The Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. senior ranks fifth nationally with a 0.93 ERA this season
Brittany McKinney, last year's second-team All-ACC selection, has continued her breakout season with eight home runs in the 17 games since North Carolina's 17-7 victory over South Carolina.
Scouting The Hokies
Virginia Tech (19-29, 5-10 ACC) enters the weekend series fresh off from two of the biggest wins of the year as they beat nationally-ranked Florida State twice last weekend.
Virginia Tech features a two-pitcher staff of freshman Jasmin Harrell and junior Kenzie Roark. The duo has combined to provide the Hokies with a 3.27 ERA this season.
Both Harrell and Roark feature similar repertoires and have yielded similar results with 3.28 and 3.34 ERAs so far this season, respectively. Roark strikes out more batters (99), while Harrell gives out less free passes (25).
Offensively, Virginia Tech is led by home run hitters Misty Hall and Courtney Liddle. The two have combined for 16 of the Hokies 28 home runs this season. Hall, a senior shortstop/catcher from Dayton, Va., leads Virginia Tech in on-base and slugging percentages.
