Bulldogs Take Pair From UNC

In the day's two games, thirty-two hits were dropped in front of, over and around the UNC fielders, who were battered by the Georgia Bulldogs, 12-3 and 10-5.

Coach Donna Papa wasn't pleased with the results at the UNC Softball Complex.

"I'm disappointed. We had been playing well of late, and I had expected to give them a better game," she said.

The storm struck early. No. 23 Georgia (39-8) put five runs on the board in the first inning of Game One. Tar Heel starter Shannon Walsh was given the hook after facing seven batters and failing to record a single out.

Although the Tar Heels (21-17) scored two runs in the fourth, Georgia tallied three more in the top of the seventh to put the game out of reach.

The downpour momentarily cleared during the start of Game Two, and the Tar Heels were able to jump out to a temporary 1-0 lead in the first.

But Georgia scored three runs on three singles and a double in the second.

The Tar Heels threatened in the third, loading the bases with two outs, but freshman Jessica Young flew out to right field.

The out proved to be the game's turning point.

"We had runners on in scoring position, bases loaded, and we didn't execute," Papa said.

Julie Milner led off with a bomb to left-center to score Georgia's fourth run of the game. UNC pitcher Ashley Allen retired the next two Bulldogs, but after three straight singles and a hit batter, the bases were loaded for Kristen Bell, who hit a grand slam to left field.

After a bloop single brought home another Georgia run in the fifth, the Tar Heels were down 10-1 and needed to score at least two runs to avoid a mercy-rule-shortened game.

Rosie Gustavson led off with a base hit up the middle, but the next two batters were retired on ground balls, leaving the Tar Heels down to their last out.

Kelly Ramsey hit a single, and Young laced a two-run double to right-center, but the six-run lead was too much to overcome. Brandi Griffin struck out to end the rally.

UNC was hurt by lack of production from center fielder Tiffany Tolleson. During her at-bats, Georgia brought all its infielders even with the pitcher's mound.

This took away the bunt, challenging Tolleson to hit the ball over their head, which she refused to do. Instead, she attempted to drag bunt, leading to an

0-for-8 performance on the day.

Tolleson's day aside, Gustavson felt the team waited too long to rally.

"This is a team that's had a lot of comebacks in the past," she said. "I don't think we need to sit on those comebacks."

The Sports Editor can be reached at sports@unc.edu.