Murad powers UNC with two home runs

For the latter part of the season, it’s almost as if Stephanie Murad has been playing catch-up.

The senior made her infield debut in the starting lineup mid-season after an injury to first baseman and pitcher Danielle Spaulding left an opening in the position.

But in North Carolina’s 6-2 win over Appalachian State on Tuesday, the 5-foot-9 Greenville native proved that the starting lineup is right where she belongs.

“She’s really worked to get into the lineup, and I think now that she’s in it, she’s really proven herself,” UNC coach Donna Papa said. “She’s just never looked back.”

Despite having the fewest at-bats among the hitting seniors, Murad shines both offensively and defensively.

In Tuesday’s game, Murad hit a home run in both the second and fifth innings, the senior’s first two-homer game of her career. She had three of North Carolina’s nine hits in three at-bats and batted in four of UNC’s six runs.

“I expect nothing less,” teammate Amber Johnson said.

“She’s our stud. She’s always hitting the ball really well, especially now that the end of the season’s coming around.”

Murad now owns the fifth best batting average on the team for the season with .283, and has a .381 average in the month of April.

But on Tuesday, she wasn’t the only one to light up the field.

Two-time ACC Player of the Year and starting pitcher Spaulding scored the first run of the game for the Tar Heels when she hit a home run to center field in the first inning. Spaulding also allowed zero hits in her four innings on the mound.

“She’s very multi-talented,” Papa said. “She can change a game in a swing.”

With out-of-the-park hits from both Spaulding and Murad, the Tar Heels registered their 15th game this season with two or more home runs.

But everything wasn’t sunny in Anderson Stadium — at least not as far as Papa was concerned.

During the sixth inning, the Tar Heels began to lose the momentum, allowing three base hits and two runs.

“I think we started to coast a little once we got a couple of runs,” Papa said. “We want them in the moment the whole time, because that’s how it’s got to be, every single pitch, every single inning.”

And sloppy relief pitching wasn’t the only problem for North Carolina during the mid-week matchup.

After two quick UNC outs in the third inning, the Tar Heels set themselves up for a couple of runs. Murad had a single to left field, and the Mountaineers’ pitcher walked two North Carolina batters.

With the bases loaded, third baseman Brittany Robinson stepped up. But a fly third out left three Tar Heels on base.

In six innings at bat, UNC would leave a total of six runners on base.

“It’s just execution, and you really need to focus on where the runners are and where you want to put your ball,” Murad said. “We’re trying to get better at that.”

But improvements will have to be made fast to serve UNC this season. The Tar Heels will play their final ACC series this weekend.

And for a coach that has her eye on post-season play, now is not the time to be slacking.

“We told the girls how we finish is really important,” Papa said. “Every game we play, we’re punching a ticket to regionals.”



Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.