Virginia Softball Falls Twice To North Carolina
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March 18, 2007
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The Virginia softball team dropped both ends of a doubleheader to North Carolina Sunday (March 18) at Anderson Stadium in the Atlantic Coast Conference play. The Tar Heels scored the final 10 runs of the opener for a 10-2 five-inning victory and took the nightcap 9-0 in six innings. With the two losses, UVa falls to 8-19 on the season and 0-3 in the ACC, while UNC improves to 27-8 and 3-0 in the conference.
In the first game, UVa jumped out to a quick lead with a pair of runs in the first inning. Fourth-year first baseman Brooke Sorber (Alexandria, Va.) led off with a single up the middle and moved to second on first-year designated player Kelly Haller’s (Leesburg, Va.) single down the left field line. Sorber then stole third base and came home with the first run of the game when the throw to third sailed into left field. Haller took second on the play and advanced to third on a single to left by fourth-year catcher Amy McKean (Kent, Wash.). Fourth-year second baseman Elea Crockett (Tucson, Ariz.) then brought Haller home with a single to left field.
The Tar Heels exploded for nine runs on nine hits in the bottom of the fourth inning. North Carolina took advantage of a UVa infield error to lead off the inning and went on to score nine runs. Casey Testa drove in four runs during the inning with a pair of hits, including a double in her second at-bat of the inning. UNC ended the game in the fifth inning on Erin Dudley’s sacrifice fly to center field that brought Anna Evans home with the Tar Heels’ 10th run of the game.
First-year pitcher Nicole Koren (Warminster, Pa.) took the loss in the circle to fall to 0-4 on the season while making her seventh start. In 3.1 innings, Koren allowed five runs (three earned) on five hits with one strikeout. Second-year Karla Wilburn (Del Mar, Calif.) relieved Koren in the fourth and gave up four runs on four hits in one-third of an inning. Fourth-year Coty Tolar (Marietta, Ga.) pitched the final inning and allowed one run on two hits with a pair of walks. Amber Johnson settled down after allowing the two runs in the first inning and kept UVa off the scoreboard in the final four frames. In the complete-game effort, Johnson (11-2) allowed two runs (one earned) on eight hits with seven strikeouts and a walk.
After three scoreless innings in the nightcap, North Carolina took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning. Testa led off with a long single to center field and pinch runner Marissa May moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. May moved to third on a passed ball and scored on Evans’ single up the middle. Evans then stole second base and scored on a pair of wild pitches.
After getting the first batter out in the fifth, UVa gave up four consecutive singles to UNC as the Tar Heels extended their lead to 3-0. North Carolina ended the game in the sixth by scoring six runs on five hits to make the final score 9-0. Evans capped off the inning with a two-run homer to center field.
North Carolina’s Lisa Norris tossed a one-hitter while improving to 16-6 in the circle. She struck out four and walked one in the complete-game effort. Koren took the loss in the circle and fell to 0-5. She pitched the first 3.1 innings and allowed two runs on four hits with one walk. Wilburn allowed one run on six hits with a strikeout in one inning of relief work. Third-year Whitney Holstun (Escondido, Calif.) threw the final 1.1 innings and allowed six runs on five hits. She struck out one and walked one.
Sorber had the lone hit in the contest for Virginia, a single through the left side of the infield in the fourth inning.
Sorber led UVa with three hits in the doubleheader. Haller and McKean both had two hits in the first game.
The first game of the doubleheader was broadcast on ACC Select and can be viewed by logging on to ACCSelect.com
The Cavaliers return to action on Wednesday (March 21) when they travel to Radford for a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.