The Carolinas clashed on Tuesday night as the North Carolina softball team fell to No. 24 South Carolina, 5-0, in Columbia, S.C. It was the first of the Tar Heels’ six road games. The Tar Heels fell to 5-5 after their third loss in a row.
“Keep your eye on the ball and hit ‘em where they ain’t,” are the famous words of National Baseball Hall of Famer Willie Keeler. The North Carolina softball team was unable to follow this advice on Saturday.
In an up-and-down early season showing, the North Carolina softball team (5-4) split two-game series with both Illinois (3-6) and Wisconsin (4-4) as part of the annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
On Wednesday afternoon, the North Carolina softball team traveled to Elon University and fell at the hands of the Phoenix, 2-1.
The North Carolina softball team kicked off its 2018 season this weekend by winning three of four games at the UCF Friends of Jaclyn Invitational in Florida.
One day after winning two games to keep its season alive, North Carolina softball was on the verge of forcing an improbable winner-takes-all matchup with No. 13-seed Ole Miss in the Oxford Regional of the NCAA Tournament. UNC held a two-run lead through the first three innings against the Rebels, who had yet to lose during the weekend, but couldn’t protect that advantage as its season came to an end with a 7-2 loss Sunday.
The start was bright. But after the top of the first inning, things went downhill fast for the North Carolina softball in its first NCAA Tournament game on Friday in Oxford, Miss. UNC lost to Arizona State, 9-3, as its pitching staff struggled against Sun Devil hitters while its offense went cold after showing some promise early on.
The North Carolina softball team will travel to Oxford, Miss., this weekend to compete in the double-elimination regional round of the 2017 NCAA Softball Championship. The Tar Heels will play Arizona State on Friday night and either Ole Miss or Southern Illinois on Saturday. Here's a quick look at each of the four teams competing.
North Carolina softball head coach Donna Papa’s gut feeling was that her team’s season would continue. The Tar Heels had an RPI ranking in the mid-30s, reached the ACC Tournament championship game and finished third in the conference during the regular season with 14 wins — all of which gave UNC a strong résumé for an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament. But there’s nothing like hearing your name called and seeing it show up on the bracket. It removes all doubt. This year, Papa and her players didn’t have to wait long.
Regardless of the fact that this was a game many expected FSU to win – the Seminoles remain unbeaten against ACC foes – there’s always going to be that sting that comes with a loss.
Playing in the ACC Tournament championship game on its home field, the task was tough for No. 3 North Carolina.
When North Carolina takes the field at Anderson Stadium, its home field, against Florida State in the ACC Tournament Championship on Saturday afternoon, it will be doing so against a softball powerhouse. The Seminoles are appearing in their 21st ACC title game and have won the tournament three years in a row. This season, not a single ACC opponent has managed to win against FSU.
North Carolina had it in the bag — or so it appeared. Up four runs through four innings, the third-seeded Tar Heels seemed to be well on their way to an easy win against seventh-seeded N.C. State to earn a spot in Sunday’s ACC Tournament Championship. Then things changed quickly. The Wolfpack took the lead thanks to a five-run fifth inning, and the mood at Anderson Stadium went from relaxed to shocked.
Having the luxury of playing in its home ballpark, the third-seeded North Carolina softball team opened up the ACC Softball Championship with a much-needed 8-4 victory against No. 7 seed Syracuse Thursday night in the tournament's quarterfinals at Anderson Stadium behind a huge first inning. With the win, UNC (37-18, 14-9) will face No. 7 seed N.C.
Earlier that day, Leah Murray was fine.
In its final home games of the season, the North Carolina softball team and No. 14 James Madison University combined for 27 hits through 12 innings. But the Tar Heels only claimed nine of those hits as the Dukes swept them in a midweek doubleheader.
The North Carolina softball team (36-15, 14-6 ACC) faced No. 14 James Madison (41-6, 12-2 CAA) on Wednesday for its final two nonconference games of the regular season. The Tar Heels fell short in the first game, 4-3, and got were blown out in the second game, 8-0, in five innings.
Whether it was the rain or the need to catch a plane, the North Carolina softball team couldn’t quite fit in its three-game series against Syracuse this weekend — but that didn’t stop the Tar Heels from leaving the Empire State on a positive note.
In a thrilling mid-week battle, the North Carolina softball team dropped a close one at Anderson Stadium on Wednesday, falling to Winthrop, 8-7.
The North Carolina softball team saw its five-game winning streak come to an end with a 8-7 loss at home to Winthrop Wednesday. Plagued by a lack of command from its pitchers for most of the day, UNC (35-12, 13-5) fell behind 4-0, but rallied late as a three-run home run from senior Kendra Lynch in the bottom of the seventh inning cut the deficit to one.
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