• Campus
    • Campus
    • Student Life
    • Administration
    • Faculty
    • Higher Education
  • City & County
    • City & County
    • Chapel Hill
    • Carrboro
    • Education
    • Public Safety
  • Politics
    • Politics
    • North Carolina
    • National
  • Sports
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Men's Basketball
    • Women's Basketball
    • Cross Country
    • Golf
    • Men's Soccer
    • Women's Soccer
    • Swimming and Diving
    • Men's Tennis
    • Women's Tennis
    • Field Hockey
    • Rowing
    • Volleyball
  • Culture
    • Culture
    • Arts & Entertainment
    • Food
  • Opinion
    • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Cartoons
    • Columns
    • Letters
    • Kvetching Board
  • Multimedia
    • Multimedia
    • Video
    • Galleries
    • Audio
  • About
    • About
    • Hiring
    • Board of Directors
    • Alumni
    • Corrections
    • Contact
    • Meet the editors
    • Policies & Bylaws
  • Advertise
    • Advertise
    • Policies
    • Events Calendar
    • Celebrations
    • Obituaries
  • Donate
  • Story Collections

  • HeelsHousing
  • Offline Chapel Hill
  • Shop
  • Buy Photos
  • 1893 Brand Studio
  • Alumni
  • Events Calendar
  • Celebrations/Obits
    • Celebrations
    • Obituaries
  • Southern Neighbor
  • Newsletter
  • Classifieds
  • Campus
  • City & County
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Culture
  • Opinion
  • Donate
  • HeelsHousing
  • Search
The Daily Tar Heel

Serving the students and the University community since 1893.

The Daily Tar Heel
    • Campus
      • Campus
      • Student Life
      • Administration
      • Faculty
      • Higher Education
    • City & County
      • City & County
      • Chapel Hill
      • Carrboro
      • Education
      • Public Safety
    • Politics
      • Politics
      • North Carolina
      • National
    • Sports
      • Sports
      • Football
      • Men's Basketball
      • Women's Basketball
      • Cross Country
      • Golf
      • Men's Soccer
      • Women's Soccer
      • Swimming and Diving
      • Men's Tennis
      • Women's Tennis
      • Field Hockey
      • Rowing
      • Volleyball
    • Culture
      • Culture
      • Arts & Entertainment
      • Food
    • Opinion
      • Opinion
      • Editorials
      • Cartoons
      • Columns
      • Letters
      • Kvetching Board
    • Multimedia
      • Multimedia
      • Video
      • Galleries
      • Audio
    • About
      • About
      • Hiring
      • Board of Directors
      • Alumni
      • Corrections
      • Contact
      • Meet the editors
      • Policies & Bylaws
    • Advertise
      • Advertise
      • Policies
      • Events Calendar
      • Celebrations
      • Obituaries
    • Donate
    • Story Collections

    • HeelsHousing
    • Offline Chapel Hill
    • Shop
    • Buy Photos
    • 1893 Brand Studio
    • Alumni
    • Events Calendar
    • Celebrations/Obits
      • Celebrations
      • Obituaries
    • Southern Neighbor
    • Newsletter
    • Classifieds
  • In the News
  • The OC Report
  • Men's basketball
  • Crime and public safety
  • Football
  • Hillsborough

4/9/2014, 3:37pm

UNC softball falls twice to Notre Dame

UNC softball falls twice to Notre Dame Buy Photos
No. 3 Erin Satterfield (SS) throws to first during the double header showdown UNC vs. Nortre Dame on Wednesday.
Bernadine Dembosky and Bernadine Dembosky

Share

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Mail
  • Print
BY Brendan Marks

Nine home runs, four hours, two games, but only one winner.

Taking the field Wednesday night against No. 25 Notre, the North Carolina softball team knew it was in for a challenge. In their newest ACC foes, the Tar Heels had one of the most potent offenses not only in the conference, but in all of college softball.

That offensive reputation proved true as the Fighting Irish (24-8, 5-3 ACC) lit up the scoreboard not just once, but twice against UNC (21-18, 12-7 ACC) to the tune of 17 total runs. Those 17 runs proved too much for the defensively-inclined Tar Heels, who fell 6-0 and 11-6 in back-to-back games.


Editors Picks

A decade of activism: How social justice movements have continued at UNC in the 2010s


Bars became a safe place during a decade of change for the N.C. LGBTQ+ community


After a decade of tuition increases, the General Assembly wrestles with affordability



“I thought game one that we didn’t make good adjustments at the plate, and we were just very, very average,” coach Donna Papa said. “Game two, I thought we came out and we competed like we know we can compete, and it’s just unfortunate that we didn’t win the sixth and seventh innings.”

In the first inning against Notre Dame, UNC gave up two runsand failed to adjust defensively in what turned into a one-sided battle quickly. The team as a whole managed just one hit in the game to Notre Dame’s 12, and with the Fighting Irish leaving eight runners on base, the score easily could have been more lopsided than 6-0.

The second game, however, gave the Tar Heels a chance to redeem themselves and play up to their potential. Pitcher Kendra Lynch led the defense to three quick outs in the top of the first inning,setting the stage for UNC to take control early.

And for the first time all afternoon, the Tar Heels responded. With two outs in the bottom of the first, shortstop Kristen Brown stepped up to the plate and smashed the ball far over the left field fence for a quick 1-0 lead.

“I had a clear mind and was just taking hacks because I know I can do it, so I went up there, took a nice cut, saw the inside pitch, and I drove it over the fence," she said.

“I thought, ‘We’re going to do this, this is our game.’ It felt good.”

The momentum for the Tar Heels could not be stopped. In the second inning, catcher Amber Parrish. 

squeezed the ball out of the park for another solo home run, giving UNC a 2-0 advantage.

First baseman Jenna Kelly’s defensive effort kept UNC ahead through the fourth inning, when Parrish’s second homer of the game — this time a two-run shot — gave the Tar Heels the 4-1 edge. Then, despite a Notre Dame homer in the top of the fifth, Brown came back in the bottom of the inning and answered with her second home run of the afternoon, pushing the lead to 6-4.

“In the first game, Notre Dame never got to see how we really play, so the fact that we got up and had the momentum was great,” said Kelly.

For the Tar Heels, though, the fifth inning was their peak. After giving up three runs in the top of the fifth, UNC gave up seven runs in the final two innings while failing to score anymore itself, netting the team another loss, this time 11-6.

The result?

A frustrated team and a head coach left searching for answers.

“We didn’t do the things it takes to win and close out a game when we worked so hard against a top 25 team,” Papa said.

“I wouldn’t ever be upset with my team if we hadn’t worked on it, but I’m upset because we’ve worked on those things, and at this point in the season, you have to have the poise to be able to handle those situations.”


Next up in Sports

  • UNC men's basketball hasn't been running, and Roy Williams wants that to change

  • 'A sorry-ass job': Ohio State wallops UNC in a top-10 matchup turned disaster

  • As UNC basketball is routed by Ohio State, Armando Bacot's absence is all too evident

  • SPONSORED Takeout Central's delivery heroes serve local Tar Heels, battle corporate foes


Next up in Softball

  • UNC softball falls in NCAA regional final to Tennessee after hard-fought weekend

  • UNC softball falls to Florida State, 8-0, in ACC Championship Game

  • UNC softball handles N.C. State, advances to ACC Championship


The Daily Tar Heel welcomes thoughtful discussion on all of our stories, but please keep comments civil and on-topic.

Latest Print Edition

Print Edition Print Archive

Decade in Review

Special Print Edition

Start the Presses!

Thank you for reading! You are someone who appreciates independent student journalism, support that work with your tax-deductible donation today!

Donate Now!
    • Front Page
    • Campus
    • City & County
    • Politics
    • Sports
    • Culture
    • Opinion
    • Donate
    • HeelsHousing
Daily Tar Heel To Homepage
109 E. Franklin St. Suite 210, Chapel Hill, NC 27514
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Shop
  • Buy Photos
  • 1893 Brand Studio
  • Alumni
  • Events Calendar
  • Celebrations/Obituaries
  • Southern Neighbor
  • Offline Chapel Hill
  • Newsletter
  • RSS
  • Classifieds

All Rights Reserved

© Copyright 2019 The Daily Tar Heel

Powered by Solutions by The State News.

A Century of Champions

The perfect gift for the UNC fan in your life. Celebrate UNC basketball's years of success with "A Century of Champions," a keepsake poster from The Daily Tar Heel and 1893 Brand Studio.

Buy Now