University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Notre Dame
Tar Heels End Notre Dame's Win Streak, Split Doubleheader
April 27, 2015 | Softball
SOUTH BEND, IN – After being rained out on Saturday, the University of North Carolina softball team took the field for a doubleheader against no. 24 Notre Dame on the road Sunday. The Tar Heels came back to take game one 7-3 in extra-innings, ending Notre Dame's 24 game win streak and handing the Irish their first home loss of 2015, before falling in game two 17-9.
Game One
The Fighting Irish were the first to put a run on the scoreboard with a two-out rally in the bottom of the second. After Kendra Lynch dropped a fly ball on the run in right field that allowed Morgan Reed to reach third base, Sara White singled up the middle to bring Reed home. Carolina starting pitcher Sydney Matzko then walked Megan Sorlie before Jenna Simon recorded an infield single to load the bases. Matko would walk Karley Wester, bringing in another run, before getting Emilee Koerner to fly out to centerfield to end the inning.
UNC's career home run leader Kristen Brown lead off the third with a solo blast off the Melissa Cook Stadium scoreboard in centerfield to make it a 2-1 game.
The Irish added another run in the bottom of the sixth after Katey Haus singled through the left side with runners on second and third to score Wester.
Trailing 3-1 in the top of the seventh with two outs, North Carolina loaded the bases for the fourth time in the game and Head Coach Donna J. Papa sent pinch hitter Jillian Ferraro to the plate. Down in the count, Ferraro laced the 1-2 pitch into the gap in right field to score two runs, tying the game. The Tar Heels managed to load the bases again after Rachel Nasland, Notre Dame's third pitcher of the day, walked Brown. UNC could not manage to take the lead though as Amber Parrish popped out to second base to end the inning.
The Fighting Irish did not answer in the bottom of the seventh, forcing the game into extra-innings.
With momentum seemingly on their side, the Tar Heels loaded the bases again in the eighth and did not let the opportunity to break the game open go by as freshman Taylor Wike smashed a grand slam to center field to give UNC a 7-3 lead it would not relinquish.
North Carolina out-hit Notre Dame 14-7. Kaylee Carlson picked up the win in the circle, striking out four in two innings of work.
Game Two
Notre Dame could not have asked for a better start to the second game of Sunday's doubleheader, tallying eight hits, including an Emilee Koerner grand slam, to take a 10-0 lead after the first inning.
North Carolina answered back in the second, as Lauren Walker went deep for a two-run home run that put the Heels on the scoreboard. Taylor Wike doubled with runners on first and second to bring in another run. Aquilla Mateen then grounded out to second, but Garcielita was able to score on the play. After Kristen Brown walked to load the bases, Amber Parrish singled to bring in a run, making it 10-5 after two innings.
Walker belted a solo home run in top of the third, her second of the game, to make it a four run Notre Dame lead, but that would be as close as the Tar Heels would get in game two.
The Irish added two runs in the bottom of the third and three in the fourth to extend their lead to nine heading into the fifth inning.
The Tar Heels did not go down without a fight though, as Parrish lead off the inning with a solo-shot to center field. Later with runners on first and third, pinch-hitter Kati Causey picked up an RBI single and Wike followed with one of her own to make it 15-9.
The momentum would be short-lived as Notre Dame shut the door on a second UNC comeback with two runs in the bottom of the fifth, ending the game with a score of 17-9.
