Monday marked the second straight doubleheader in which the Tar Heels have scored just one run. They lost 3-0 and 4-1 to East Carolina at the UNC Softball Complex.
"Our bats have left us, and our confidence up at the plate has left us," said UNC coach Donna Papa. "We're in a big funk. Big funk. And we need to get out of it tomorrow and before the ACCs."
In Game One, UNC (30-27) had eight hits - one more than the Pirates - against Nicole Bacon (20-14) but stranded nine baserunners and came up scoreless.
But for the first six innings of the contest, the defense was solid and kept the game knotted at zero. UNC right fielder Rosie Gustavson gunned down Kate Manuse at the plate with a relay from second baseman Emily Price in the top of the second, and she made a running catch to save two runs to end the fifth.
"I was surprised she went home," said Gustavson of Manuse. "I threw it in to Emily, and Emily threw a strike."
In the seventh, the Tar Heel defense fell apart, allowing the Pirates (35-23) to score three runs after an overthrow by catcher Natalie Anter and two fielding errors.
"It was frustrating," said UNC pitcher Shannon Walsh, who fell to 12-13. "But the whole game was frustrating."
Papa said she thought Walsh was pitching well before an error led to a Pirates' rally.
"But it shouldn't have come down to that," she said. "If you're scoring runs, it's a different game."
