University of North Carolina Athletics
Heels Clash With No. 10 Georgia on SEC Network
April 5, 2016 | Softball
ATHENS, GA. - Carolina softball continues its challenging slate with a visit to No. 10 Georgia on Wednesday, April 6. The midweek clash will air live on SEC Network, with Jenn Hildreth Riehn and Amanda Scarborough on the call. Fans can also watch the game online on WatchESPN.com or follow the stats live on GameTracker. The broadcast is set to begin at 7:30 p.m.
The Bulldogs are having a phenomenal season at the plate, leading the nation in batting average (.370) while ranking sixth in on base percentage (.456) and ninth in slugging percentage (.550). Sisters Cortni and Sydni Emanuel both rank in the top 10 nationally in batting average, while Tina Losefa ranks fourth in RBIs.
Georgia earns its top-10 national ranking with strong pitching as well, as Kylie Bass ranks seventh in the nation with an 0.99 ERA, while Chelsea Wilkinson is fourth in victories and Brittany Gray is second in saves.
The Bulldogs opened the season on an 11-game winning streak before dropping their first contest of the year to No. 10 UCLA. No. 19 Minnesota edged Georgia, 4-3, the following weekend, then College of Charleston gave the Bulldogs just their third loss, 2-1, on March 11, as UGA entered SEC season with a 24-3 record.
The SEC slate has proved challenging for the Dawgs, as UGA dropped two of three at South Carolina on conference opening weekend, but regrouped to sweep Texas A&M the following weekend. LSU then stunned the Bulldogs at home in the series opener, scoring four runs with two outs in the seventh to win 5-4 and take 2-of-3 in the series.
Battling the Bulldogs
North Carolina and Georgia have a storied history, with 12 meetings over the past 20 years, including five NCAA Tournament clashes. UNC is 3-9 all time against the SEC powerhouse, including a trademark victory in Athens last season. On April 1, 2015, Carolina defeated then-No. 9 Georgia, 15-9, to match the most runs ever allowed by the Bulldogs in a game.
Georgia has been ranked in each of the last 11 meetings, including ranking in the top 10 all three times UNC won. UNC has defeated a top-10 team seven times in program history, with three of those victories coming against the Bulldogs.
UNC has met Georgia in the postseason five times, hosting the Bulldogs in the 2009 NCAA Regional and traveling to Athens in 2012 and 2015. Then-No. 8 Georgia won both home games in 2009 and then-No. 11 Georgia once again knocked UNC out in 2012 with a pair of low-scoring one-run games.
The Dawgs spoiled the Tar Heels' postseason hopes once again in 2015. After taking an early 4-2 lead, Carolina fell behind, 5-4, in the fifth. Down to her final strike, behind in the count 0-2 with two outs in the seventh, Jenna Kelly launched a game-tying home run to extend the game, but UNC surrendered a walk-off bomb to SEC home run leader Alex Hugo to end the 2015 season.
Papa Earns 200th Career ACC Victory
With UNC's walkoff win over Louisville on April 3, 2016, head coach Donna J. Papa earned her 200th career ACC victory. The Tar Heel skipper is the first ACC head softball coach ever to reach the milestone. Florida State is the only other Atlantic Coast Conference member to have reached 200 wins as a program, but its wins are split between long-time head coach JoAnne Graf (128) and current leader Lonni Alameda (135).
Coach Papa ranks sixth among active Division I head coaches in career victories, with 1,174 over 33 seasons, and is 12th all time overall.
Delamora Named ACC Player of the Week
On April 4, freshman Berlynne Delamora became the third Tar Heel to earn a weekly honor from the ACC, earning ACC Player of the Week after leading UNC to a 4-1 week including a series victory over Louisville. The Tar Heel third baseman hit .667 (8-for-12) with a 1.000 slugging percentage and a .750 on-base percentage, and drove in several key runs including a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the seventh in game two against the Cardinals.
Radara McHugh '01 Selected as Akron Racers IMPACT Honoree
On April, 4, former Carolina pitcher Radara McHugh (1998-01) was named an IMPACT honoree by the Akron Racers of the NPF. McHugh was ninth of 30 players who will be honored as having the largest impact on the history of the oldest existing pro fastpitch team as it gears up for its 15th season as a franchise.
The 1998 ACC Rookie of the Year played for the Racers from 2004-09 then became the first-ever former player to be hired as a coach. McHugh led the Racers to their first and only NPF title in 2005 with 4.2 shutout innings in the circle.
