University of North Carolina Athletics
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No. 25 UNC Rallies Past Buffalo 9-4
February 12, 2011 | Softball
Feb. 12, 2011
JACKSONVILLE, FLA. --Kesley Green ripped a two-RBI single to cap a five-run eighth inning leading No. 25 North Carolina over Buffalo 9-4 Saturday afternoon at Jacksonville University Softball Complex. Lori Spingola earned the win improving UNC to 2-1 overall.
Spingola (2-1) tossed 1.2 scoreless innings of relief. Starter Sara Buchholz allowed four runs on eight hits in 6.1 innings of work.
Kelli Wheeler led UNC offensively with three hits and one RBI. Ally Blake added two hits, including a solo home run. Haleigh Dickey also added two hits and two RBI. Jordan Scarboro registered a key double, her first collegiate hit.
uffalo darted out to a 2-0 lead after one inning of play. The Bulls registered three hits, including a pair of well-executed bunts, to find an early lead. Kristin Waldron provided a RBI groundout for Buffalo.
lake immediately sliced the Bulls' lead in half with a solo home run over the left field fence in the second. The Tar Heels loaded the bases with no outs, but failed to manufacture any more runs after a 7-2 double play. The Tar Heels trailed 2-1 entering the bottom of the second.
The Bulls added to their lead in the bottom of the frame scoring two runs all with two outs. Back-to-back RBI doubles from Holly Luciano and Ashley Bertot extended the Bull lead to 4-1 after two innings.
Carolina inched back manufacturing two runs on two hits in the top of the fifth. Chelsey Butler reached on single and then advanced on a sacrifice bunt from Green. Butler later scored on a wild pitch, followed by a two-out RBI single off the bat of Wheeler. UNC still trailed 4-3 entering the bottom of the fifth.
UNC knotted the score in the seventh after Scarboro's pinch-hit double. The freshman advanced to third on a long fly ball off the bat of Brittany McKinney and later scored on a RBI sacrifice fly from Dickey. McKinney, who was hit by three pitches, has now been hit four times in the three games of the season.
The Tar Heels found their first lead in the eighth inning and never looked back to claim the 9-4 victory. Logan Foulks executed sacrifice bunt, but an errant throw to an empty first base allowed Paige Williams to cross the plate for a 5-4 UNC lead. Carolina added four more runs highlighted by a Green two-RBI single and Dickey RBI single. Spingola closed the game out in the bottom of the frame to give the Tar Heels the 9-4 victory.
UNC will play host Jacksonville at approximately 4:15 p.m. Saturday afternoon from Jacksonville University Softball Complex.
