Pitches that rise are easier to hit when you’re 6-feet tall.
That was the mindset of Leah Murray as she stepped to the plate in the bottom of the sixth inning on Tuesday. The bases were loaded, and she had the chance to break North Carolina's 1-1 deadlock with USC Upstate.
Spartan pitcher Holly McKinnon had retired most of the Tar Heel batter with her best pitch, the riseball. Luckily for Murray, that's exactly what she expected from McKinnon.
“She was pretty consistent with her routine,” said Murray after North Carolina's 4-2 win. “We kind of knew where she was going to throw her riseball and her changeup. It was easier to plan.”
Even with her confidence at the plate, the first-year outfielder fell down 1-2 in the count. But the pressure never phased Murray, who leads UNC in strikeouts.
With only one pitch left to end the inning, Murray decided not to think too much about what the pitch would be but rather where she was going to hit it.
“Honestly I just try to keep it simple, because it could have been anything,” she said. “They were playing so deep it could have easily been a ground ball.”
Murray didn’t hit a ground ball. With the count at 2-2, Murray, a left-handed hitter, drove the ball into right field over the head of the Spartans' right fielder. She put her head down and hustled to second base. When she looked up, the rest of the bases were clear. The Tar Heels now led 4-1.
For Murray’s three-run double to come late in the at-bat didn’t surprise Coach Donna Papa.
