University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
1-0
Elon
0-1
Softball Slugs Its Way To 15-3 Victory Over Elon
February 6, 2026 | Softball
Just like opening day, Sanaa Thompson started the offensive output for the Tar Heels. Kinaah Pierce followed suit with a single of her own to send Thompson home and load the bases up for Rayna Blackwell. For the second season in a row, Blackwell hit the first home run of the season as she sent a grand slam out to left field, extending the lead 6-0.
Graduate student Shelby Barbee homered as she went back-to-back with Blackwell which was the first time that a Tar Heel has hit back-to-back home since March 2, 2025 with Carlie Myrtle and Kiwi Pierce did so against Louisville.
The home run outpour continued as Michele Tarpey launched her first career home run in Carolina blue. In her first career start, Reece Outlaw blasted a homer to deep left field for her first career hit and home run all at once, extending the lead to 13-0.
Emily LeGette smacked the fifth home run of the day for her first in Carolina Blue. Nicole Knox notched her first career RBI with a bases loaded walk in the fourth.
Carly Maxton shoved in her UNC debut. She went three scoreless innings with five strikeouts. Kendall Frost also made her UNC debut twirling one scoreless inning and one strikeout. Carly Compton came in the fifth and struck out two batters in her collegiate debut.
UNC moves to 2-0 for the first time since 2024 and will be back in action tomorrow at 2 p.m. against Saint Joseph's.
Inside the Box Score:
- Reece Outlaw's first career start
- Carly Maxton's first start as a Tar Heel
- Reece Outlaw's homer in the second inning was the first hit of her career
- MC Eaton made her Carolina debut
- Nicole Knox made her collegiate debut
- Michele Tarpey hit her first homer as a Tar Heel
- Emily LeGette hit her first home run in Carolina Blue
- Kendall Frost made her UNC debut
- Knox first RBI was a bases-loaded walk in the fourth
- Carly Compton made her collegiate debut
- First 15-0 score of the Coach Smith era
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Maxton, Carly (1-0)
L: Dew, Anna (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Piotrowski, C. 1
RBI: Piotrowski, C. 2 ; Dawson, Allie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Klein, Jenna 1 ; Chandler, Hannah 1 ; Tamulski, Julia 1
Batting:
2B: Thompson, Sanaa 1 ; Tarpey, Michele 1
HR: Outlaw, Reece 1 ; Barbee, Shelby 1 ; Blackwell, Rayna 1 ; Tarpey, Michele 1 ; LeGette, Emily 1
RBI: Outlaw, Reece 3 ; Pierce, Kiannah 1 ; Thompson, Sanaa 1 ; Barbee, Shelby 1 ; Blackwell, Rayna 4 ; Knox, Nicole 1 ; Tarpey, Michele 3 ; LeGette, Emily 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Outlaw, Reece 1 ; Burns, Bryten 1 ; Roberts, Lexie 1 ; Horton, Sydney 1 ; Pierce, Kiannah 1 ; Thompson, Sanaa 2 ; Barbee, Shelby 2 ; Blackwell, Rayna 1 ; Tarpey, Michele 2 ; LeGette, Emily 3
SB: Roberts, Lexie 1
HBP: Barbee, Shelby 1 ; Blackwell, Rayna 1
