University of North Carolina Athletics
UNC Softball Monday Notebook
March 21, 2011 | Softball
March 21, 2011
CHAPEL HILL -- Fresh off opening the 2011 ACC slate with a series win over Virginia Tech, North Carolina will return to action Wednesday traveling to Campbell for a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m. from Eakes Athletic Complex. The Tar Heels will then host league foe Florida State for a three-game series beginning Saturday at 1 p.m. All three games at Anderson Stadium will be available on Carolina All-Access for a FREE webcast.
The Tar Heels swept a doubleheader with the Hokies Saturday, winning game one 3-0 and the second contest by the score of 3-2. Carolina currently is tied in second place of the ACC standing with a 2-1 record. In other ACC action this weekend, Boston College swept a three-game set against Virginia and Florida State won two of three against NC State. Maryland and Georgia Tech have yet to play a league contest.
Noting the Week of March 19-20
• In North Carolina's series win over Virginia Tech, both teams combined to only score 11 total runs in three games. The 11-run combined total is the lowest of the season in a three-game stretch.
• Nine of the Tar Heels 29 contests this season have been decided by just one run. UNC owns a 4-5 record in those nine games, including a 1-1 mark this past weekend. From March 5-8, Carolina played in four consecutive games all decided by one run - posting a 2-2 record.
• Junior Kelli Wheeler is enjoying a career season at the plate with a .438 batting average, six home runs and 21 RBI in her first 29 games of 2011. The Marietta, Ga., native has hit safely in 23 of 29 games this season and currently is riding an eight-game hit streak. Wheeler has posted 12 multi-hit games and has stolen a career-best nine bases in 2011. The junior has made three starts at shortstop over the weekend after starting her first 90 career games in the outfield.
• The Tar Heels own a .957 team fielding percentage, which currently ranks in the top half of the ACC. Carolina's defense is anchored by second baseman Kelsey Green, who owns a .985 fielding percentage with just one error in nearly 70 chances. Green displayed her glovework over the weekend with a diving stop that prevented a run in Carolina's 3-2 win over Virginia Tech Saturday.
• The freshmen duo of Lori Spingola and Sara Buchholz continues to mature in the circle as both won their first career ACC games over the weekend. Spingola tossed her fifth complete-game shutout in a 3-0 win Saturday over the Hokies and notched her first career save in a game two victory. The Atlanta, Ga., native owns a 14-8 record, 1.76 ERA and posts a 5:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Buchholz scattered seven hits and allowed just two runs in UNC's game two win Saturday.
• Freshman Logan Foulks belted her first career home run over the weekend. The Douglasville, Ga., product is 4-for-12 with six RBI in her last six games.
• Seniors Dani Manko and Brittany Robinson each enjoyed big weekends. Manko collected two hits Sunday in her first multi-hit effort of the season. Robinson accounted for all three RBI highlighted by a two-run home run in Saturday's 3-0 win over Virginia Tech.
• The winngest coach in UNC and ACC softball history, Donna J. Papa entered her 25th season at North Carolina and 27th overall with a career record of 978-533-5. Carolina has collected 18 wins this season and now just four games from reaching her 1,000th career victory. The coaching milestone has only been accomplished by 10 Division I NCAA coaches.
