Feb. 13, 2009

Wilburn Tosses No-Hitter in 11-0 Win Over Saint Louis
Fifth-year senior Karla Wilburn tossed her first career no-hitter in the Virginia softball team's 11-0 win over Saint Louis (1-1) Friday in Henderson, Nev. Four Cavaliers - Nicole Koren, Abby Snyder, Sarah Tacke and Giannina Cipolloni - hit home runs and Cipolloni's first career bomb was a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the fifth inning. The Cavaliers improved to 5-2 as they continue play in the Louisville Slugger Desert Classic, hosted by UNLV.

Wilburn, a native of Del Mar, Calif., is the first Virginia pitcher to record a no-hitter since Erin Horn did it against Maine on Feb. 26, 2006. Wilburn improved to 4-0 in the circle this season, finishing with three strikeouts and one walk.

Virginia's four home runs in the contest also tied a program record. The Cavaliers have previously hit four home runs in a game three other times, the last being against UNLV on Feb. 22, 2007.

Virginia Blanks South Dakota State, 13-0
The Virginia softball team improved to 6-2 on the season with a 13-0 shutout of South Dakota State Friday in the Louisville Slugger Desert Classic. For the second straight game, the Cavaliers tied a school record with four home runs. Sophomore Nicole Koren hit two while Abby Snyder and Sarah Tacke also went yard in the winning effort.

In its two games on Saturday, Virginia outscored its opponents 24-0 and combined to hit eight home runs.

Against the Jackrabbits, Virginia scored 13 runs on 13 hits, led by a 3-for-3 performance at the plate from senior Carly Winger. Snyder, Koren and Clara Kendall each went 2-of-3 in the batter's box.

Senior Karla Wilburn picked up her fifth win of the season in her fifth consecutive complete game. She threw five innings and allowed just four hits. She also recorded three strikeouts and two walks.

NC State Tops No. 7 Oklahoma in Season Opener
Bridget Desbois picked a mighty fine time to deliver NC State's first hit of the season. After being held hitless for 5 2/3 innings, Desbois lined a two run single into left center to lift NC State over No. 7 Oklahoma, 2-1, in its season opener at the Marriott Houston Classic on Friday, Feb. 13. The win marks the Pack's third over a top-10 program in school history. State is now 2-0 all-time against Oklahoma.

Lindsay Campana (1-0) held the Sooners to just three hits while racking up five K's. D.J. Mathis (2-2) took the loss. NC State stands at 1-0, while OU falls to 4-2.

No. 23 Tar Heels Down Shockers
Danielle Spaulding drove in four runs and continued her dominance in the circle in Carolina's first game of the Carolina Classic Friday afternoon as the Tar Heels cruised to a 7-0 win over Wichita State. Spaulding and her battery mate Brittany McKinney each tallied two hits for the Tar Heels.

The Tar Heels pushed across a single run in the bottom of the second when Brittany McKinney led off with a double off the right center wall before Emily Troup drove a single back up the middle to give Carolina the early lead. Carolina would tack on three more runs in the bottom of the third when Danielle Spaulding drove a pitch over the scoreboard in left field for a three-run opposite field home run. Back-to-back one out singles by Christine Knauer and Breanna Brown put Spaulding in position to help herself out and that is just what she did as she tallied her first home run of the year.

A Stephanie Murad fielder's choice gave Carolina a 5-0 advantage after the Tar Heels loaded the bases with Spaulding and McKinney each picking up singles before Emily Troup drew a base on balls. A bases loaded walk and a sacrifice fly provided the Tar Heels with their final margin of 7-0 thanks to Spaulding's dominating performance.

No. 23 Carolina Claims 8-0 Win
The No. 23 North Carolina softball team improved to 6-2 on the young season Friday afternoon as a pair of three-run home runs fueled the Tar Heels past George Washington by an 8-0 margin. Breanna Brown and Kelli Wheeler each hit three-run opposite field blasts for the Tar Heels as Carolina outscored its opponents 15-0 on the opening day of the Carolina Classic. Constance Orr picked up the win in the circle as she tossed a no hitter in the five inning win. The Tar Heels will face off against No. 9 California at 3 p.m. in Carolina's only action on Saturday. Carolina scored a pair of runs in the first with back-to-back triples by Christine Knauer and Breanna Brown before Emily Troup drove in Brown with her second RBI single of the day. Brown put the Tar Heels ahead 5-0 in the top of the second inning when she connected on her first home run of the year, a three-run shot to left field. Kelli Wheeler got things started with a lead off walk before Alyssa Francona dropped down a picture perfect sacrifice bunt to move Wheeler to second. Following a strikeout Christine Knauer reached an on error by the pitcher putting runners on the corners for Brown who crushed a pitch over the left field fence for her fifth career home run.

Constance Orr got the start in the circle for the Tar Heels and twirled a gem as she retired 12 of the 14 batters she would face without allowing a hit during the five inning shutout. Orr allowed just two base runners in the game as the pair reached on walks but were no threat to the freshman who improved to 2-0 on the year with the win.

Seminoles Shutout Mountaineers In Home Opener
Florida State shutout Appalachian State, 6-0, in the first home game of the season on day one of the Sunshine Classic at JoAnne Graf Field Friday afternoon. The Seminoles extend the winning streak to five and are currently 6-1 to start the year while the Mountaineers drop to 0-2.

Sophomore Terese Gober is now a picture-perfect 5-0 after picking up her fifth win and striking out eight, giving up five hits and walking three Mountaineers. Credited with the loss was Kayla Richardson who gave up eight hits, four earned runs and managed to strike out just one Noles.

Sophomore Kristie McConn led the Garnet and Gold on offense, going 3-for-3 with a season-high three RBI. The second baseman is now hitting at .316 as she recorded her second multiple-hit game this year.

Georgia Tech Takes Down Florida Atlantic And South Alabama At Lipton Invitational
Sophomore Kristen Adkins had a win and a save and sophomore Caroline Hilton's first career home run was a grand slam to lead the Georgia Tech softball team (5-1) to a pair of wins at the Florida Lipton Invitational. The Yellow Jackets beat Florida Atlantic (4-2) 13-2 in five innings during game one and then took down South Alabama (2-5) 5-2 in the night cap.

Adkins (3-0) allowed one run on three hits for the win over FAU and then pitched a scoreless seventh inning of relief vs. South Alabama for her first career save. Senior Tiffany Johnson (2-1) battled through six innings for the win. She gave up two runs on four hits. Hilton blew open the FAU game with a pinch-hit, two-out grand slam on a 3-2 pitch for her first career home run. Senior Whitney Haller went 3-for-8 with a home run and five RBI extending her hitting streak to eight games. She is now three RBI away from breaking former teammate Savannah Brown's Georgia Tech and ACC RBI record.