First-year Leah Murray drove in three runs with a two-out, two-strike double to break a 1-1 tie in the sixth inning, as the North Carolina softball team defeated USC Upstate 4-2 on Tuesday.
USC Upstate (28-7) started the scoring in the top of the fourth inning, when sophomore Karla Beasley hit a home run just over the left field wall to take a 1-0 lead. UNC (16-17) responded in the bottom frame with a double by first-year Berlynne Delamora, scoring senior Kristen Brown to even the score at 1.
The Tar Heels and the Spartans traded scoreless frames until the bottom of the sixth inning, when junior Kendra Lynch laced a single past a diving shortstop to put a runner on with one out. After a Delamora sacrifice bunt, a walk and a hit batter, Murray came to the plate with a chance to take the lead.
Murray quickly got behind in the count, but she kept fighting off pitches until junior Spartan pitcher Holly McKinnon left a pitch inside that Murray could hit, slapping the pitch over the right fielder’s head for a three-run double.
USC Upstate scratched across another run in its final frame, but the three-run cushion provided by Murray was more than enough for Lynch to finish her two-run, four-strikeout performance for her 14th win of the season.
The Tar Heels were strong behind Lynch in the field, committing no errors and turning a double play to get out of a jam in the sixth inning.
Quotable
“I just felt like this was one of the best games we played in a while.” — Coach Donna Papa on how pleased she was with UNC’s performance.