The North Carolina softball team rallied twice from deficits in a back-and-forth 8-7 victory over Virginia (12-24, 3-12 ACC) on Sunday afternoon. With the rubber-match win, UNC (29-9, 9-3 ACC) secured the series victory as well.
What happened?
Virginia’s first two batters both reached base safely as Katie Park doubled and Iyana Hughes drew a walk from UNC starting pitcher Kendra Lynch. Two batters later, Danni Ingraham cranked a two-strike pitch over the Anderson Stadium center field wall for a three-run home run
UNC answered back quickly in the bottom of the first. Leadoff hitter Leah Murray singled and stole second before being driven home by a double off the top of the wall by Berlynne Delamora. Pinch runner Brittany West came around to score two batters later thanks to an RBI infield single from Katie Bailiff that narrowed Virginia’s lead to just one.
The Tar Heels leveled the score at three an inning later thanks to Katelyn Shifflett, who led off with a single and later came around to score on a wild pitch.
In the third, UNC jumped out to a 5-3 lead when Berlynne Delamora scored on a Micaela Abbatine walk and Lynch scored thanks to an RBI ground out from Brittany Pickett.
The Cavaliers wasted no time responding in the top of the fourth, sending ten batters to the plate and scoring four runs. Virginia got contributions up and down the lineup, but none was more important than Olivia Gott’s game-tying two-run double to right field. By the time UNC reliever Kellyn Daly struck out Ingraham, the damage was done and Virginia led 7-5.
UNC didn’t stay down for long, evening the score at seven thanks to RBI singles from Taylor Wike and Lynch.
After Brittany Pickett – UNC’s third pitcher of the day – held Virginia scoreless in the fifth, the Tar Heels loaded the bases. With two outs, Kendra Lynch found a hole in the right side of the Cavaliers’ infield and reached with an RBI infield single – giving UNC an 8-7 lead with two innings to play.
