CHAPEL HILL, NC After eking out a 3-2 win in game one, No. 16 North Carolina exploded for 11 runs in game two for a six-inning, 11-3 victory to sweep an afternoon doubleheader with UNC Greensboro on Wednesday.
Trailing 3-0 entering the sixth inning in game one, UNCG (6-11) finally got its offense going with two outs. Freshman Alex Emeterio got the rally going with a single to right center, and Mary Catherine Vercoe followed with a single to right center of her own. Kaitlin Merkt delivered an RBI single to center to score Emeterio, and Whitney Sirois followed with a double to left UNCG's fourth straight hit to plate Vercoe.
With the tying run in scoring position and the go-ahead run at the plate, UNC pitcher Lisa Norris retired Kristen Gabel on a fly to right field to end the threat.
Amber Harrell (2-5) worked around a leadoff walk in the bottom half of the inning, retiring the next three batters in order to get UNCG back to the plate. Norris was also up to the challenge, though, sitting down the Spartans in order to nail down her first save of the season.
The Tar Heels (14-3) got on the board first with a pair of runs in the third inning, as Breanna Brown and Danielle Spauldin had RBI hits. UNC added what would prove to be the winning run in the fourth inning on Kelsey Green's RBI double.
Harrell took the loss after allowing three runs on seven hits and four walks in six innings. Spaulding improved to 6-1 on the season, allowing just a fourth-inning single to Vercoe and a walk to Merkt in four innings of work.
Norris worked the final three innings, giving up two runs on five hits.
Vercoe finished the game 2-for-3 with a run scored, while Spaulding and Green were both 2-for-3 with an RBI for the Tar Heels.
The Spartans jumped out to a 3-0 lead in game two, but saw North Carolina explode for 11 unanswered runs to take the win.
UNCG batted around in the second, with Vercoe getting things started with a leadoff walk. After a pair of groundouts, Emily Akiyama singled through the left side to plate pinch-runner Katie Stripling. Laura Olenderski and Jordan Jewett then drew consecutive walks to bring up Brittany Ausley, who singled to left to drive in Akiyama and Olenderski for the 3-0 Spartan advantage.
North Carolina took control in the third, batting around to score four runs and go ahead to stay. The first six Tar Heels reached in the inning to knock UNCG starter Hannah Angel from the game, with Anna Roberts' three-run home run proving the big blow.
Spaulding added a leadoff homer in the fourth and Alyssa Francona earned a bases-loaded walk to make it 6-3 in UNC's favor.
North Carolina put the mercy rule into effect in the sixth inning, with Roberts' sacrifice fly scoring Spaulding to cap the five-run frame. Spaulding, Brown and Brittany McKinney also had RBI in the inning.
Angel fell to 4-5 on the season, allowing four runs three earned on four hits and five walks in two innings. Cory Mattson worked three innings of relief, surrendering two runs on three hits and five walks, while Harrell was tagged for five runs in 0.2 innings on two walks and four hits.
Norris improved to 5-2 on the season with 4.1 innings of one-hit relief. Constance Orr got the start in the circle, allowing three runs on three hits and three walks in 1.2 innings.
Ausley, Merkt, Akiyama and Lyndsay Mouse accounted for UNCG's four hits in game two. Spaulding had another big game at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two runs and three RBI. Roberts was 2-for-3 with a run and four RBI.
The Spartans return to action this weekend when they host the UNCG Spartan Classic. UNCG will face Rider on Friday at 2 p.m. at the UNCG Softball Field.
AGATE
North Carolina 3, UNC Greensboro 2 (Feb 25, 2009 at Chapel Hill, N.C.) (Game 1)
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UNC Greensboro...... 000 002 0 - 2 6 0 (6-10)
North Carolina...... 002 100 X - 3 7 0 (13-3)
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Pitchers: UNC Greensboro - Amber Harrell. North Carolina - Danielle Spaulding; Lisa Norris(5).
Win-Danielle Spaulding(6-1) Save-Lisa Norris(1) Loss-Amber Harrell(2-5) T-1:44 A-121
Weather: 54 degrees, sunny
Game: UNCG2251
North Carolina 11, UNC Greensboro 3 (Feb 25, 2009 at Chapel Hill, N.C.) (Game 2)
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UNC Greensboro...... 030 000 - 3 4 1 (6-11)
North Carolina...... 004 205 - 11 11 0 (14-3)
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Pitchers: UNC Greensboro - Hannah Angel; Cory Mattson(3); Amber Harrell(6). North Carolina -
Constance Orr; Lisa Norris(2).
Win-Lisa Norris(5-2) Loss-Hannah Angel(4-5) T-2:13 A-121
HR NC - Danielle Spaulding (2); Anna Roberts (1).
Weather: 48 degrees, Clear
Angel faced 6 batters in the 3rd.
Game: UNCG2252
