Tar Heels Split Day Two Of Challenge

Saturday, February 18

Chapel Hill, N.C.

11:00 AM

North Carolina

5-3

Purdue

1-6

Purdue

North Carolina

February 18, 2017 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Purdue Box Ohio State Box

By: UNC Athletic Communications

CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina split a pair of games on Saturday afternoon in the second day of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, shutting out Purdue, 5-0, but falling, 10-2, to Ohio State. Carolina freshman Brittany Pickett tossed a four-hit gem in the morning game against the Boilermakers for the first UNC shutout of the season, while a disastrous sixth inning turned a close contest into a mercy-rule game in the rematch with Ohio State.

Sophomore Leah Murray led Carolina at the plate, going 4-for-7 with two doubles and a stolen base. Destiny DeBerry went 3-for-7 with a double and a triple, while Katelyn Shifflett doubled twice against Ohio State. Berlynne Delamora walked in all seven plate appearances on the day, which ties for the ninth-most consecutive walks drawn in NCAA history—with the streak still active.

The Tar Heel pitching staff turned in a 1.11 ERA for the day, allowing a total of just two earned runs as a team, but a trio of errors in the nightcap proved costly in the doubleheader split.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Purdue	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	3
North Carolina	3	0	2	0	0	0	0	5	9	0

Freshman pitcher Brittany Pickett hurled a four-hit shutout and Leah Murray went 3-for-4 with two doubles to lead the Tar Heels to a 5-0 victory over Purdue in the first game of the day.

Murray led Carolina in the two spot, going 3-for-4 with two doubles, a run, an RBI and stole third base. Destiny DeBerry got the Heels going at the top of the lineup, going 2-for-4 with a triple and a run, while Katie Bailiff went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs. Additionally, pinch runners Micaela Abbatine and Hailey Cole both stole a base, and Brittany West picked up her first career hit on a bunt single.

Pickett improved to 3-0 on the season, scattering four singles and a walk over seven shutout innings with a team-season-high nine strikeouts.

Katie Johnson (0-3) started for Purdue, but pitched just one inning., allowing three runs on three hits and a walk in the first. Maddie Damon threw the remaining five innings, allowing two unearned runs on six hits and three walks with three strikeouts.

Three extra-base hits led to three Tar Heel runs in the bottom of the first. DeBerry kicked off the Carolina offense with a leadoff triple to right. Murray drove the next pitch to the gap in left center for an RBI double. She stole third and Delamora drew a walk. Pinch runner Micaela Abbatine stole second, and Lynch picked up an RBI on a ground out. Bailiff then crushed her third double of the weekend to the wall in left center to make it 3-0 Carolina.

A two-out rally in the bottom of the third pushed the Heels further in front, 5-0. Delamora got it going with a two-out walk, then Lynch singled. Bailiff came through with an RBI single to center, and Pickett sent an unearned run across the plate off an error by the shortstop.

The Tar Heels loaded the bases with two outs in the fourth and sixth innings, but Damon held Carolina without the big hit needed to increase the lead any further.

Purdue led off three different innings with a single, but Pickett and the Carolina defense held the Boilermakers to 0-for-9 with runners on base, and a perfect top of the seventh sealed up UNC's first shutout victory of 2017, 5-0.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H	E
North Carolina	0	1	0	0	1	0	2	4	3
Ohio State	0	0	3	1	0	6	10	11	0

A tight rematch with the Buckeyes got away from the Heels late, as six unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth cut the game short, 10-2, in favor of Ohio State.

Katelyn Shifflett had a career day at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles and her first career RBI. After tripling in the first game, Destiny DeBerry hit an RBI double against OSU, and Leah Murray singled for the only other Tar Heel hit.

Sydney Matzko (1-2) pitched the first five and two-thirds innings and allowed just two earned runs but a total of nine runs on nine hits and two walks. Pickett took over with two outs in the bottom of the sixth but did not record an out, allowing the 10th and final run on two hits in three batters faced.

Shelby Hursh (4-1) went the distance for Ohio State, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks with four strikeouts.

Shifflett put the Heels on the board in the top of the second, roping an RBI double off the top of the wall in center. Delamora made it possible, drawing her fifth consecutive walk, and pinch runner Hailey Cole stole second to get in scoring position for Shifflett.

Ohio State took the lead in the bottom of the third, thanks in part to a pair of Tar Heel errors. Sturgeon got to first as the leadoff on a bobbled ball by Wike at short. Bayne walked, then Piper hit an RBI single to left center. Clark followed with another single to left center, giving OSU the lead, and a sacrifice fly by Kirk made it 3-1 Buckeyes.

The Buckeyes added an insurance run in the bottom of the fourth with a solo home run by Taylor White.

Carolina got one back in the top of the fifth with a pair of doubles. Shifflett led off with a double to right center, and DeBerry drilled a two-out double over the leftfielder's head, sending pinch runner Abbatine home.

Ohio State entered the bottom of the sixth with just a 4-2 lead, but Ashley Goodwin led off the frame on first after an error by Wike, and a two-out single by Sturgeon started a hit parade. The Buckeyes piled on six hits over the next seven batters, chasing Matzko from the circle and cutting the game short as a two-run single off Pickett by Goodwin made it 10-2 Ohio State and ended the game in the sixth.

In the final game of the day at Anderson Stadium, Louisville defeated Purdue, 9-1, in five innings. After the first two days of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, the ACC leads, 15-9.

All four teams return to the diamond on Sunday morning for the conclusion of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Sunday's contests begin with Ohio State vs. Louisville at 10 a.m. followed by North Carolina vs. Purdue at 12:30. The weekend finale will air live on ACC Network Extra on WatchESPN.