Softball Opens 2024 Season With A Pair Of Wins

Friday, February 9

Rock Hill, S.C.

12 p.m.

North Carolina

1-0

NC A&T

0-1

NCAT

NORTH CAROLINA

Photo by: © David Jensen Media

February 9, 2024 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

ROCK HILL, S.C. – The North Carolina softball team (2-0) opened the Megan Smith Lyon era in style on Friday, recording back-to-back wins over Winthrop and NC A&T.

The Tar Heel bats started the season hot, with the team combining for 24 hits and 21 runs, while also going 9-for-10 in stolen base attempts. The Carolina pitching was dominate too, with the Tar Heels allowing just one unearned run in 12 innings of play.

In game one against the Aggies, and in her Tar Heel debut, redshirt junior Britton Rogers threw a five-inning perfect game with eight strikeouts. It was just the ninth perfect game in UNC history and first since Lori Spingola threw one vs. Penn State on Feb. 27, 2011.

At the plate, four different Tar Heels tallied four or more hits on the day, including senior Skyler Brooks (5), junior Alex Coleman (5), senior Carsyn Snead (4) and Isabela Emerling (4). Brooks led the team with a .833 average, going 5-of-6 with four RBIs, three stolen bases and two hit by pitches.

Notables:

The Tar Heels' 11-0 win over NC A&T marked Megan Smith Lyon's first win as a Carolina head coach
Britton Rogers' perfect game is the ninth in school history and first since Lori Spingola vs. Penn State on Feb. 27, 2011
Rogers is just the sixth Tar Heel ever to throw a perfect game, is the second to throw one on Opening Day and first since Virginia Augusta on March 7, 1987
Alex Coleman had four hits against Winthrop, matching her career best. She also had four hits against in 2023 while at Marshall
Carsyn Snead tallied three hits against Winthrop, a new career-best
Carolina's 11 runs against NC A&T were the most on Opening Day by the Tar Heels since Feb. 2008 against George Washington
Three different Tar Heels hit a home run on Opening Day: Autumn Owen, Isabela Emerling and Carlie Myrtle
For the second season in a row, Bailey McCachren pitched a complete game on Opening Day and allowed no earned runs. Last season McCachren held BYU to three hits and no runs to open the 2023 season
Myrtle had three RBIs against Winthrop, a new career best

The Tar Heels will wrap the weekend up on Saturday, rematching against NC A&T and Winthrop at 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., respectively.

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