UNC softball walks off against Ohio State in ACC-Big Ten Challenge

In a back-and-forth game that came down to the bottom of the seventh inning, the North Carolina softball team defeated Ohio State, 8-7, on a walk-off double by Katie Bailiff for its first win of this weekend’s ACC-Big Ten Challenge.

What happened?

Ohio State (3-3) was the first to score in Friday’s contest, knocking a two-run home run into the trees just four batters into the first inning. North Carolina (4-3) quickly responded in the bottom of the inning, notching three runs of its own off three hits and adding two more runs on a passed ball and throwing error. In the second inning, the Buckeyes struck again with two more home runs to tie the game at 5-5.

In the fourth inning, the Tar Heels answered again to take the lead, 7-5. Destiny DeBerry reignited the offense with a single and a stolen base and later scored after a single by sophomore Leah Murray in the next at-bat. Errant throws on the base paths allowed Murray to advance to third base, and Taylor Wike singled soon after, putting the team up by two.

In the sixth inning, Ohio State hit its fourth home run of the game to cut the lead in half. And in the seventh, they scratched another across to tie the game up once again. But the Tar Heels would not go quietly, just as they had proven all game

Lynch led off the final frame with a double to left-center field and was replaced by Hailey Cole on the base paths. A sacrifice bunt by Burkhardt moved Cole to third, and the game was well within hand. When Bailiff stepped up to the plate and took a swing, she hit the last pitch of the game off the right-field fence for a North Carolina win.

Who stood out?

Bailiff stood out as one of the top hitters of the game, and not just because of her walk-off double. Throughout the game she was the heartbeat of the offense, finishing the game 3-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored.

Murray also had a standout game at the plate and on the base paths. She took what Ohio State gave her on the bases and capitalized on the errors of her opponent. She finished with two hits and scored two of the teams runs.

Sydney Matzko, the second North Carolina pitcher in Friday’s game, also came through for the Tar Heels on defense. In three innings of work, she had four strikeouts while giving up only two walks and no runs.

When was it decided?

The score was close the entire game, with neither team taking a clear commanding lead over the others. It wasn’t until Bailiff scorched one off the right-field fence that the game was decided, as the Tar Heels came out on top.

Why does it matter?

The Tar Heels showed resiliency in their first game of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. 

At each moment in the game when the other team scored, it wasn’t long before they answered the call and responded. The ability of the team to respond to Ohio State’s offense, even when they faced an offense that hit four home runs, bodes well for head coach Donna Papa’s team this weekend. If the Tar Heels can continue to keep games close even when their opponent has their best at the plate, they should be able to improve their 4-3 record this weekend and set themselves up for success the rest of the season.

Where do they play next? 

The ACC-Big Ten Challenge will resume Saturday morning as UNC takes on Purdue at 11 a.m. and then Ohio State again at 1:30 p.m.

@_JACKF54_

sports@dailytarheel.com