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The Daily Tar Heel

UNC softball sweeps series against No. 21 Pittsburgh with 8-7 comeback win

Katie Bailiff’s walk-off single in the ninth inning gave the North Carolina softball team (15-4, 3-0 ACC) an 8-7 comeback victory on Sunday afternoon. The Tar Heels scored seven unanswered runs to sweep No. 21 Pittsburgh (12-5, 0-3 ACC) in their first conference series of the season.

What happened?

Pittsburgh found success early against UNC starter Kendra Lynch. With two on and two out in the top of the first, Giorgiana Zeremenko hit a fly ball that just barely sailed over the left field fence for an early 3-0 lead from the home run.

The Panthers kept rolling in the second as a pair of singles were followed by an RBI double from Alexee Haynes, scoring a run and forcing Lynch from the game in the second inning.

For the second game in a row, Brittany Pickett spelled Lynch in the pitcher’s circle, and again Pickett worked her way out of the jam, though not before Olivia Gray singled home Pittsburgh’s fifth run of the game.

Pickett helped herself at the plate in the bottom of the third, putting the Tar Heels on the board with a solo home run to center field. But Pittsburgh answered right back when Zeremenko doubled with the bases loaded, scoring two runners and extending the Panthers’ lead to 7-1 in the fourth inning.

The Tar Heels’ bats finally found their groove in the bottom of the fifth — loading the bases with only one out. Leah Murray and Taylor Wike notched consecutive two-out singles, drawing the deficit to 7-4. After a pair of walks scored another run, Bailiff came to the plate with UNC trailing 7-5 with the bases loaded and two outs.

With two strikes on Bailiff, Pittsburgh relief pitcher Sarah Dawson missed high on a wild pitch that allowed all three Tar Heel runners to advance and scoring Wike. On the ninth pitch of the at bat, Bailiff smoked a single up the middle to score Delamora and tie the score at 7. In all, UNC sent 11 batters to the plate in the fifth, ending up with six runs on five hits.

Both sides threatened in the following innings, but the pitchers stayed steady until the ninth when the Tar Heels loaded the bases for Bailiff, who roped a single between first and second, scoring Murray and securing an all-important sweep in the first weekend of conference play.

Who stood out?

Pickett was steady in relief, allowing just two runs and eight hits in eight innings of work to earn the win in relief.

At the plate, UNC benefited from a well-balanced attack, getting big hits from Wike, Murray, and Lynch among others. Bailiff finished the day 3-for-5 with two RBIs — including the deciding one.

Zeremenko led the Pittsburgh offense, going 2-for-4 and driving in five runs thanks to a home run and a double.

When was it decided?

UNC has made a habit of never being out of any game, and Sunday was no different. The game wasn’t truly decided until Bailiff’s single streaked past the glove of Pittsburgh first baseman Kaitlin Manuel.

Why does it matter?

Not only does the victory keep UNC’s 10-game win streak alive, but by sweeping a ranked conference foe, the Tar Heels set a tone for the rest of the season and sent a message to the rest of the ACC.

By pulling off another comeback, head coach Donna Papa’s team showed yet again that it is never truly out of any game, an attitude that could serve the Tar Heels well as the season progresses.

Where do they play next?

The Tar Heels host Charlotte on Tuesday at Anderson Stadium at 5 p.m.

sports@dailytarheel.com

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