Tar Heels softball drops series to N.C. State

North Carolina’s pitchers were worn out by Sunday’s game against N.C. State, and the team’s bats were unable to provide enough support to get the job done.

The No. 19 UNC softball team dropped the rubber game of a three-game series, falling 5-1 to the unranked Wolfpack.

UNC and N.C. State split the series’ first two games in a doubleheader on Saturday. The Tar Heels dropped the first game 3-2, then took the second game by the same score.

Senior Danielle Spaulding made her second consecutive start for North Carolina after pitching 5 1/3 innings to get the win on Saturday.

She went just 1 2/3 innings and gave up a run Sunday before being relieved by Amber Johnson.

Spaulding was sore from Saturday’s start, and also had a hand injury that caused shooting pains and made gripping the ball difficult.

Both were reasons for her shortened appearance, UNC associate head coach Beverly Smith said.

“It’s definitely a time issue,” Spaulding said of her injury. “The bad thing about that is I don’t have time to sit out and not do anything.”

Johnson, who has seen her workload increase with Spaulding’s injury, pitched the rest of the game for the Tar Heels. She ran into trouble in the fourth inning, loading the bases with no outs and a run already scored.

By the time the frame was over, the Wolfpack had put three runs on the board.

“She’s had to gut out some performances,” Smith said. “I felt lucky we got out of there with just three.”

Spaulding said she was trying to do as much as possible to give Johnson a rest, but was in a lot of pain after Saturday’s outing.

She had trouble commanding her pitches on Sunday because of it.

“She’s pitched so many games to make up for my lot and me not being there, and it definitely takes a toll on the body,” Spaulding said.

Johnson also allowed a solo home run to Allison Presnell in the fifth inning for the Wolfpack’s final run.

On the other side, N.C. State starting pitcher Lindsay Campana frustrated Tar Heel hitters all day, going the full seven innings while holding North Carolina to one unearned run and three hits.

And of those three Tar Heel hits, not a single one made it out of the infield.

“Campana has an excellent drop ball and I think it fooled us a little,” Smith said. “She pitched a great game against us and we just couldn’t get enough going offensively.”

Johnson and Spaulding combined to pitch every inning over the two-day series.

Johnson pitched all seven innings in the first game, then earned the save in relief of Spaulding in game two.

Spaulding, two-time ACC Player of the Year, started both the second and third games, tossing for seven innings in total.

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.