May 16, 2009

Carolina Dispatches Radford, 9-4
North Carolina scored six runs in the top of the sixth inning and advanced to Saturday's NCAA Chapel Hill Regional final with a 9-4 win over Radford Friday night at Anderson Stadium. Lisa Norris, who also got the win in the circle, delivered the key blow in the sixth - a three-run home run off the scoreboard in left center. Carolina (47-12) will face sixth-seeded Georgia on Saturday needing a pair of wins over the Bulldogs to advance to next weekend's super regionals.

UNC, playing as the road team due to the double-elimination format, got things started in the top of the third, but not without a splash of controversy. After a one out double by Breanna Brown and a sacrifice, Brittany McKinney doubled to right center to make it 1-0. The next batter was Emily Troup, who sent a Chelsea Kelley pitch over the fence in right for an apparent three-run home run.

But following a pitching change, Troup was ruled to have missed home plate and was called out on an appeal by Radford, negating her run and leaving the score at 3-0 through two and a half innings.

Coan And Adkins Lead No. 14 Georgia Tech Past BU, 5-1, In NCAA Tournament Opener
Sophomore Kristen Adkins's three-run home run highlighted a five-run bottom of the sixth inning as the No. 14 Georgia Tech Softball Team (44-13) came back to beat Boston University (41-17), 5-1, in the second game of the NCAA Softball Atlanta Regional Friday night at Mewborn Field.

The Yellow Jackets will now play Auburn in a winner's bracket game at 1 p.m. tomorrow. The Tigers defeated Iowa, 1-0, earlier today. BU and Iowa will play an elimination game at 3:30 p.m.

Freshman Jessica Coan (7-3) picked up the win for the Yellow Jackets as she allowed one run on four hits and two walks. Coan struck out a career-high 11 batters. 

Seminoles Slip 1-0 To Cowgirls In NCAA Regional Opener
Despite a gem of a performance in the circle from Sarah Hamilton, the 16th-seeded Florida State softball team fell to Oklahoma State 1-0 Friday night in NCAA Regional action at JoAnne Graf Field.

Hamilton and OSU pitcher Anna Whiddon went toe-to-toe, but the Cowgirls used small-ball in the seventh inning to finally break open a pitchers' duel.

Hamilton started things off by striking out the side in the top of the first but the Cowgirls' pitching was just as tough, allowing one Nole to reach base on a walk with two strike outs and a pop up to third. 

Carolina Falls To Georgia, 6-0
Georgia scored all of its runs in a six-run third and Christie Hamilton threw a two-hit shutout as the sixth-seeded Bulldogs defeated North Carolina, 6-0, Friday afternoon in the winner's bracket of the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional at Anderson Stadium. Kristin Schnake and Alisa Goler hit back-to-back home runs for Georgia (41-10), which advances to Saturday's regional final. Carolina (46-12) will face the winner of the elimination game between Radford and Campbell Friday night.

Carolina squelched an early Georgia rally in the first thanks to a strong defensive play from Whitney Allen and Brittany McKinney. After Taylor Schlopy reached first on an error and stole second, Brianna Hesson delivered a two-out single to left. Allen fielded the ball and fired a strike to McKinney covering at home to retire Schlopy and keep the Bulldogs off the board.

Georgia broke through in a big way in the third, however, with Schnake and Goler both going deep off UNC starter Lisa Norris (22-8). Lisaira Daniels led off the inning with a bunt single and moved to third on Schlopy's double down the left field line. Schnake then homered to left center to make it 3-0 before Goler delivered her team-best 21st long ball of the season deep to right.