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2/28/2016, 5:05pm

Big fifth inning propels UNC softball to 2-1 win over Butler

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BY Nicole Caporaso

On Friday evening at Anderson Softball Stadium, the North Carolina softball team could have easily come away with a loss after stranding batters on second or third base in four different innings. But it didn’t.

In a 2-1 win over Butler (4-7), junior pitcher Kendra Lynch pitched her seventh complete game of the season, giving up only five hits and one earned run.

A little slow to get the offense going, North Carolina (5-6) scored its only two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.

With one out, sophomore second baseman Taylor Wike drew a walk, followed by a single by senior outfielder Aquilla Mateen. Senior shortstop Kristen Brown hit an RBI double in the next at-bat, scoring the first run of the game. 

With a little small ball, the Tar Heels tacked on an insurance run on a sacrifice squeeze by senior first baseman Lauren Fuller, scoring Mateen from third base for UNC's second run.


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“Sometimes you have to grit out a win, and we did,” Coach Donna Papa said. “I thought that we played great defense (Friday). I thought that we were really solid. Kendra did a great job.”

The Bulldogs countered with a run of their own in the top of the seventh inning, momentarily threatening a comeback.

With one out, Lynch allowed a runner to reach first base on a hit-by-pitch. A ground out and a stolen base later, a Butler single gave the Bulldogs their only run.

“I’m very upset I gave up a run in the last inning,” Lynch said. “I’m very upset about that. I wasn’t sharp to finish, and I just gave up too many hard hits.”

Missed opportunities didn’t end up haunting UNC, but they could have. In the first inning, the Tar Heels stranded Wike and Mateen on third and second base, respectively. The bottom of the third inning left Mateen stranded yet again.

“The first three innings we had runners on scoring position and we didn’t do anything with it,” Papa said. “Our hitters started to come on later in the game and we just didn’t make adjustments early enough (Friday) at the times we needed them.”

Quotable

“I knew it was going to come. We just had to put it together and get good pitch selection at the plate, and I feel like our hitters fought through all of that and zoned in on their pitch and got it done.” — Mateen on UNC finally scoring.

Notable

With her three hits Friday, Mateen is leading the team with a .444 average and is also leading the team this season with 16 hits. She also had a stolen base in the game.

Three numbers that matter

0: Lynch walked zero batters.

7: The Tar Heels tallied seven hits, compared to Butler’s five.

48: Lynch has pitched 48 innings this season, 27 more than UNC’s other starting pitcher, Sydney Matzko.

What’s next?

UNC hosts IUPUI at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday at Anderson Softball Stadium for the second day of the Carolina Classic.

@Nicole_Caporaso

sports@dailytarheel.com


Next up in Sports

  • 3-point struggles against UVa. are a microcosm of UNC's season-long slump from deep

  • Cole Anthony’s shooting struggles epitomize UNC's day in loss to Virginia

  • Lilly Higgs leads UNC swim team, qualifies for finals twice at Toyota U.S. Open


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.

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