April 16, 2009

No. 13 Tar Heels Win 18th Straight
The No. 13 North Carolina softball team swept a midweek doubleheader from visiting Winthrop Wednesday as the Tar Heels pounded out 12 hits in the opener for a 7-0 win before grinding out a 2-1 extra-inning win in the nightcap. The pair of wins pushed Carolina's win streak to 18 games and the Tar Heels' overall record to 39-7 overall, while Winthrop drops to 18-17 overall. Carolina will host Virginia Tech this weekend in the final home series of the year.

The Tar Heels struck early in game one as Breanna Brown started things off with a seeing-eye single back up the middle before swiping second base. Danielle Spaulding dropped in a single to left field putting runners at the corners for Whitney Allen. The Fayetteville, N.C., senior hit a grounder to second where it was fielded forcing out Spaulding but Allen was able to reach first allowing Brown to score and putting Carolina in front 1-0.

Carolina would tack on another run in the fourth inning as Brown drove in a run with an RBI single before the Tar Heel offense exploded for five runs in the fifth to blow the game open. 

Cavaliers Down Hampton 4-2
The Virginia softball team improved to 25-14 this season with a 4-2 win over Hampton in the first game of a doubleheader Wednesday at The Park. The second game was cancelled because of inclement weather.

Senior Casey Steffan led Virginia with a 3-for-3 performance at the plate against the Pirates, including her third home run of the season, and two RBI.

Virginia outhit Hampton 7-2 and did not commit an error. All four of UVa’s pitchers saw action; freshman Stephanie Coates picked up the win thanks to two runs in the sixth for the Cavaliers. 

7th Inning Blast Gives ECU Win Over Wolfpack
NC State lost 3-1 at East Carolina Wednesday evening when the Pirates Cristen Aona hit a two-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning

The win improves ECU to 30-11, while NC State falls to an even 20-20 mark on the season.

Toni Paisley, 22-6, recorded the victory in the circle as she allowed six hits and struck out 14. Wolfpack hurler Mendy McKenzie also had a solid performance in the circle, allowing six hits and striking out five.