Kicking off the 2017 season at the Puerto Rico D1 Tournament this weekend, the North Carolina softball team debuted an overwhelmingly young team featuring 10 first-years on the 19-player roster.
Things were off to a rough start for UNC (2-3) after dropping the first game 6-2 on Friday against Illinois (4-1). The Fighting Illini struck first in the bottom of the first inning with a solo home run, and the Tar Heels' struggling offense failed to respond until the top of the sixth inning after posting their only two runs of the game.
The second game of the day against California (4-1) proved to be a better defensive effort for the Tar Heels, but it was still a similar story offensively.The Golden Bears posted their only three runs in the first inning and managed just one hit in the final six frames, but North Carolina once again came up short at the plate with only two base hits and one run in a 3-1 loss.
North Carolina continued to falter on Saturday morning with an 0-3 start after being blown out in a rematch with Illinois, 13-0. The Fighting Illini scored seven runs in the first inning to quickly shut down the Tar Heels in a five-inning shutout.
“After you get blown out by a team, you have to make a decision,” head coach Donna Papa said. “You have to have some pride in what you’re doing and start again.”
A regrouped North Carolina team came out hours after a double-digit loss and earned the first win of the season, getting revenge on California in a 4-1 win.
First-year Brittany Pickett led the Tar Heels at the plate and on the mound after going 2-for-3 with an RBI and allowing only one run from the Golden Bears’ five hits.
The momentum from the win against California carried over to an early Sunday morning game against ACC foe Georgia Tech (0-5).
Unlike in previous games, North Carolina came out strong and scored three runs to take a first-inning lead.
