Saturday, March 1
Chapel Hill, N.C.
12:30 PM
North Carolina
15-3
12
vs
5
Kent State
4-13
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Kent State
0
0
0
2
3
0
0
5
8
1
North Carolina
4
0
2
2
3
1
X
12
13
0
Photo by: ANTHONY SORBELLINI
Thompson, Rodriguez Power Softball To Two Wins
March 1, 2025 | Softball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The Carolina softball bats came alive once again with two wins over Kent State and Harvard on Saturday afternoon at Anderson Softball Stadium.
Game one saw UNC do what it's done best all season: score early and score early. After reaching on an error to start the first, Alex Coleman came around to score when Lexie Roberts singled into left field. Kat Rodriguez stayed hot with an RBI single of her own to push the lead to 2-0. A few batters later, Kiannah Pierce drove in two with a fielder's choice that featured some heads up base running from Sanaa Thompson, who scored from second on a grounder to second.
The bats went silent in the second inning but Shelby Barbee wouldn't let that happen again in the third. She had a loud two-run homer to push the lead to 6-0 and UNC was rolling.
Kent State was able to push across two runs in the top of the fourth to make it a four run ball game. Carolina responded right away as Kiannah Pierce would blast her first ever home run deep to center field. The two-run bomb put the Tar Heels up 8-2, in a moment no one will ever forget.
A three-run homer cut the UNC lead to three. Kat would pick up her 10th, 11th, and 12th RBI of the last 24 hours in the next half inning after a three-run home run.
Rayna Blackwell tacked on another with a sacrifice fly in the 6th, pushing the lead to 12-5.
Britton Rogers came in to shut things down in the 7th to hold on to the 12-5 win.
Just like game one, Alex Coleman got on base, then came home to score in the first. This time it was a Sanaa Thompson infield single. The single pushed her hit streak to 10 games, which continues to be the longest by a Tar Heel this season.
In the second, Coleman drove in two on a fielder's choice where everyone was safe to make it a 3-0 game.
Harvard managed to get a run back in the fourth as the game became a pitchers duel for most of the game after the second.
In the sixth Sanaa Thompson continued to stay red hot, this time smacking a grand slam to deep left center field to blow the game open.
Kenna Raye Dark has done what she's done seemingly all season, she threw her seventh complete game of the year, striking out four in the process while not allowing an earned run.
She set a new single-season career high for strikeouts and it's only March 1st. The junior has fanned 56 batters over 61 innings. She's now gone 26 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run.
The Tar Heels are now 12-0 at home while outscoring teams 115-16. They've allowed only 12 ER in 72 innings pitched.
Kat Rodriguez and Sanaa Thompson continue to mash the ball this week. They are hitting a combined .500 with four homers, 19 RBI, three doubles, 10 runs, and three walks. Both of them have and OPS above 1.000 this week as well.
Carolina is back in action tomorrow with a doubleheader against Kent State and Saint Joseph's.
Game one saw UNC do what it's done best all season: score early and score early. After reaching on an error to start the first, Alex Coleman came around to score when Lexie Roberts singled into left field. Kat Rodriguez stayed hot with an RBI single of her own to push the lead to 2-0. A few batters later, Kiannah Pierce drove in two with a fielder's choice that featured some heads up base running from Sanaa Thompson, who scored from second on a grounder to second.
The bats went silent in the second inning but Shelby Barbee wouldn't let that happen again in the third. She had a loud two-run homer to push the lead to 6-0 and UNC was rolling.
Kent State was able to push across two runs in the top of the fourth to make it a four run ball game. Carolina responded right away as Kiannah Pierce would blast her first ever home run deep to center field. The two-run bomb put the Tar Heels up 8-2, in a moment no one will ever forget.
A three-run homer cut the UNC lead to three. Kat would pick up her 10th, 11th, and 12th RBI of the last 24 hours in the next half inning after a three-run home run.
Rayna Blackwell tacked on another with a sacrifice fly in the 6th, pushing the lead to 12-5.
Britton Rogers came in to shut things down in the 7th to hold on to the 12-5 win.
Just like game one, Alex Coleman got on base, then came home to score in the first. This time it was a Sanaa Thompson infield single. The single pushed her hit streak to 10 games, which continues to be the longest by a Tar Heel this season.
In the second, Coleman drove in two on a fielder's choice where everyone was safe to make it a 3-0 game.
Harvard managed to get a run back in the fourth as the game became a pitchers duel for most of the game after the second.
In the sixth Sanaa Thompson continued to stay red hot, this time smacking a grand slam to deep left center field to blow the game open.
Kenna Raye Dark has done what she's done seemingly all season, she threw her seventh complete game of the year, striking out four in the process while not allowing an earned run.
She set a new single-season career high for strikeouts and it's only March 1st. The junior has fanned 56 batters over 61 innings. She's now gone 26 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run.
The Tar Heels are now 12-0 at home while outscoring teams 115-16. They've allowed only 12 ER in 72 innings pitched.
Kat Rodriguez and Sanaa Thompson continue to mash the ball this week. They are hitting a combined .500 with four homers, 19 RBI, three doubles, 10 runs, and three walks. Both of them have and OPS above 1.000 this week as well.
Carolina is back in action tomorrow with a doubleheader against Kent State and Saint Joseph's.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Parrish, Lilly (1-0)
L: PENNER, Carley (0-1)
Batting:
2B: MOERY, Katie Jo 1
HR: ROBESON, Delaney 1
RBI: ROBESON, Delaney 3 ; MOERY, Katie Jo 1 ; NOGAY, Aaralyn 1
Base Running:
RUNS: PENNER, Carley 1 ; ROBESON, Delaney 2 ; MOERY, Katie Jo 1 ; MARKUSIC, Kasey 1
HBP: PENNER, Carley 1
Batting:
HR: Kat Rodriguez 1 ; Pierce, Kiannah 1 ; Barbee, Shelby 1
RBI: Roberts, Lexie 1 ; Kat Rodriguez 4 ; Pierce, Kiannah 4 ; Blackwell, Rayna 1 ; Barbee, Shelby 2
SF: Jennings, Raegan 1 ; Blackwell, Rayna 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jennings, Raegan 1 ; Roberts, Lexie 2 ; Kat Rodriguez 3 ; Thompson, Sanaa 1 ; Outlaw, Reece 1 ; Pierce, Kiannah 1 ; Burns, Bryten 1 ; Barbee, Shelby 1 ; Horton, Sydney 1
SB: Jennings, Raegan 1 ; Roberts, Lexie 1 ; Thompson, Sanaa 1 ; Outlaw, Reece 1 ; Pierce, Kiannah 1 ; Horton, Sydney 2
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
3
H
3
RBI
4
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
4
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
RHP
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
RHP
/ SoftballOF
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