Tar Heels take two from Chanticleers
By Penn Ely Staff Writer The No. 15 North Carolina softball team continued its march toward the postseason Wednesday night, sweeping Coastal Carolina in back-to-back shutouts. The Tar Heels won the first game 3-0, complimentary of right fielder Jennifer Jacob's three-run blast in the bottom of the third inning. Junior right-hander Lisa Norris went seven innings and struck out 12. She allowed only three hits in her 15th win of the season. Although the Tar Heels blanked the Chanticleers (18-30), UNC coach Donna J. Papa was not satisfied with her team's performance. "We've struggled during the week games," she said. "I thought we played very uninspired and it showed." The Tar Heels (42-8-1) won the second game in five innings, 8-0. Amber Johnson allowed two hits in four innings of work. North Carolina's performances on the mound have been one of the primary reasons for its success this season. The team's four hurlers have gone a combined 42-8, accumulating 469 strikeouts. "I think our pitching has been huge," Papa said. "I think once we score some runs, they've been able to shut some people down. "They really haven't given up that many hits and runs. They have been a big reason behind our success." Calling North Carolina one-dimensional would be unfair. The Tar Heels have done more than just throw heat. The team has seen a surge in its offensive statistics from last year. North Carolina is hitting .311 as a team this year. The 2007 squad only hit .264. "I think (pitching) has had a lot to do with our success," Johnson said. "But our offense has been incredible, it doesn't even compare to last year." Papa said the Tar Heels need to get more consistency if her team wants to continue to be successful as it rolls into the postseason. "I think the difference between the first game that we played and the second game shows that," Papa said. "It's like night and day." And what better way to gain some consistency than playing a three-game series against rival N.C. State this weekend. Although you won't find the Tar Heels approaching the game differently than any other series. "If we want to continue to be successful, we need to come out with a consistent effort every single at-bat," Papa said. The UNC coach has her sights set on hosting one of the 16 regional sites for the postseason, something North Carolina has never accomplished. The Tar Heels have made the NCAA Tournament the past five years, but always had to travel to other regional sites. The N.C. State series is another hurdle in North Carolina's march to the postseason. The squad has a record of 27-2-1 in the past thirty games and appears to be steamrolling into the matchup. "We are going to approach this game exactly the same as we have been approaching every other game," Johnson said. But the memory of last year's sweep to the Wolfpack may still linger in the minds of the Tar Heels. "Yeah, it's N.C State. They're right down the road. Whatever, I don't want to make a big thing about it, it's another opponent. We just want the sweep," she said. Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu