Day Three From The ACC Softball Championship
Tar Heels Earn First ACC Softball Title, 4-1 Over Seminoles
The Tar Heels scored two runs in the top of the first and never trailed in the game.

The Tar Heels scored two runs in the top of the first and never trailed in the game.

May 13, 2001

ACC Softball Championship Information
ACC All-Tournament Team
Saturday's Recaps

***GAME EIGHT***
TAR HEELS EARN FIRST ACC SOFTBALL TITLE, 4-1 OVER FSU

RALEIGH, N.C. - North Carolina claimed its first Atlantic Coast Conference Softball Championship Sunday afternoon with a 4-1 win against Florida State at Walnut Creek Softball Complex. Tar Heel pitcher Radara McHugh earned the win and tournament MVP honors, yielding just one unearned run and six hits while striking out eight.

"This is a feeling of total elation," said UNC coach Donna Papa, who is in her 16th season as the Tar Heels' coach. "I˘m so excited, especially for our seniors. No UNC team has ever won this, and I'm so happy that our seniors -- Carrie Bates, Radara McHugh, Beth Olen and Michelle Semmes -- get to enjoy this."

The Tar Heels scored two runs in the top of the first and never trailed in the game. Leadoff batter Quinn Porter reached on an error and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Rosie Gustavson. After Michelle Semmes singled to advance Porter to third, Natalie Anter singled down the left field line to bring Porter home. Semmes then scored on an RBI single by Beth Olen.

In the bottom of that inning, FSU leadoff batter Serita Brooks reached base on a bunt single, stole second then third, and scored on a error for the Seminoles˘ only run of the game.

Carolina saw its lead extended into more comfortable territory in the top of the sixth when freshman Dionne Streete hit her second home run of the season. After Emily Price reached first on an error to lead off the inning, Streete sent the ball over the left field fence to put UNC up 4-1.

FSU, which earned the conference˘s at-large NCAA bid based on its regular-season play, advanced to the championship game with a 4-0 win over Maryland in the morning game. The Seminoles got home runs by Monique Marier and Natalie Bennett as Leslie Malerich claimed the win.

 

 

In the title game, Brooks and freshman Jessica van der Linden each had two hits for the Seminoles, who left 11 runners on base. FSU was the top seed in the tournament and had won or shared the last six conference titles. 

Atlantic Coast Conference Championship
Game 8: North Carolina 4, Florida State 1
UNC 200 002 0 = 4 10 3
FSU 100 000 0 = 1 6  2
WP: Radara McHugh (23-10), LP: Jen White-Stokes (19-4)
HR: Dionne Streete (UNC)

ACC All-Tournament Team: North Carolina-Natalie Anter, Radara McHugh (MVP), Beth Olen, Emily Price, Florida State-Natalie Bennett, Serita Brooks, Leslie Malerich, Monique Marier, Maryland-Amanda Bettker, Michelle Burrell, Virginia-Meaghan Young

***GAME SEVEN***
SEMINOLES TOP TERRAPINS, 4-0, AT 2001 ACC SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

RALEIGH, N.C. - The Terrapin softball team's run at the 2001 ACC Softball Championships came to a conclusion on Sunday, as the Florida State Seminoles (54-9) broke open a pitchers' duel in the fifth and went on to win, 4-0. Maryland concludes its 2001 season with a 39-23 slate, while FSU advances to face North Carolina for the conference tournament title.

Accomplished junior hurlers Amanda Bettker (St. Petersburg, Fla.) and Florida State's Leslie Malerich (Merrillville, Ind.), who both logged innings in all of their teams' tournament games, were given the starts once again. The two were effective in keeping their adversaries off the scoreboard, allowing one hit apiece through the first five innings.

The Seminoles interrupted the stalemate in the sixth, when FSU's Serita Brooks (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) reached on a fielder's choice off of Terp reliever Jenn Shellhammer (Slatington, Pa.). After stealing second, the Seminole speedster scampered home on a single by Staci Brandon (Peoria, Ariz.). Brandon moved to second on a walk and came around to score on a Terrapin error.

The Seminoles added a pair of runs on back-to-back homers by Monique Marier (Tampa, Fla.) and Natalie Bennett (Belleville, Ill.) in the top of the seventh.

The Terps' best threat came in the bottom of the inning. Down 4-0, junior first baseman Kiesha Pickeral (Hughesville, Md.) smoked a double down the left field line to lead off, and reached second when catcher Beth Radford (Dunkirk, Md.) drew a walk. Malerich and the Florida State defense, however, were able to get the outs they needed to pick up the victory and move on to the title series games.