North Carolina Downs NC State to Open ACC Softball Championship
Spaulding strikes out 16 in the win.



May 8, 2009

RALEIGH, N.C. – Third seeded North Carolina took a 3-1 win over sixth seeded hosts NC State in the opening game of the 2009 ACC Softball Championship. The Tar Heels, ranked 14/17 in the nation, improved to 45-10 on the season while the Wolfpack falls to 23-25. North Carolina will face the winner of Friday’s second game between Florida State and Boston College.

The Tar Heels worked a pair of walks to open the third inning that came around to score off a line drive to left from Brittany McKinney. NC State’s Alyssa Allbritten then mashed a home run to left center in the top of the fourth to cut the Carolina lead to 2-1. UNC’s Breanna Brown opened the bottom of the fifth with a double and later scored on a single by Emily Troup to make the lead 3-2.

ACC Player of the Year Danielle Spaulding opened the game by recording the first 13 outs of the game via the strikeout. She fanned a total of 16 in the game and was replaced by Lisa Norris with two outs in the sixth and the bases loaded. Norris struck out the final batter of the inning to quell the Wolfpack threat and finished off the game to earn her fourth save of the season.

Spaulding earned the win and improved to 20-3 on the year. On the other side, NC State’s Lindsay Campana was given the loss to fall to 13-11. Campana allowed four hits, struck out two and walked six in the outing.

The first two days of the 2009 ACC Softball Championship are available for free on ACC Select. For more information and broadcasting schedules, please visit ACCSelect.com

For complete coverage of the ACC Softball Championship, please visit the ACC’s championship central at: http://www.theacc.com/championships/09-softball-championship.html.

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