North Carolina Advances With 3-0 Win Against Canisius

May 21, 2005

Junior pitcher Crystal Cox threw her third no-hitter of the season and the Tar Heels broke a 34-inning scoreless streak in a 3-0 win over Canisius Saturday in NCAA Tournament softball play in Ann Arbor, Mich. With the win, UNC (37-28) stayed alive to play Seton Hall in a 6 p.m. game at Alumni Field. The winner advances on to face top-ranked Michigan on Sunday at 1 p.m. and the loser is eliminated from tournament play.

The Tar Heels broke their longest scoreless streak of the season with two runs in the sixth inning. With one out, Julia Bove singled down the left field line and pinch hitter Jaclyn Holden singled to right. After a second UNC out, designated player Erica Ennis hit a two-RBI double down the left field line.

UNC's third run came in the top of the seventh. Jessica Young led off with a double and Ashley Oxendine took her place at second as a pinch runner. Oxendine advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Anna Evans then scored on a bunt single by Joslin Higgins.

Cox struck out 12 and walked five to improve to 21-19 on the season. The no-hitter was the seventh of her career.

The UNC-Seton Hall game is a rematch of Friday's opener, in which the Pirates won 1-0 in eight innings.