Wichita St. 0
UNC 7
George Washington 0
UNC 8
California 3
UNC 4
Penn St. 0
UNC 2
North Carolina hosted four teams this weekend in the Carolina Classic and defeated all of them improving to 8-2 on the season.
Friday afternoon the Tar Heels routed their two opponents Wichita State and George Washington with 7-0 and 8-0 scores respectively. They finished the weekend with a 2-0 shutout against Penn State.
But the game of the weekend was Saturday's match-up of No. 23 UNC and No. 9 California.
Junior Danielle Spaulding pitched seven innings the day before and senior Lisa Norris was nursing a sore arm. So it was freshman Constance Orr who got the call against the Bears after having thrown five scoreless innings against George Washington the previous day.
Orr who went into the game with a 2-0 record and 10 scoreless innings pitched on the season wasn't a bad choice for UNC but she said after that she was nervous about starting the big game.
The jitters showed as UC jumped to an early lead with two runs on four hits in the first inning.
But an inning later UNC junior Stephanie Murad stepped to the plate to pinch-hit with the bases loaded and two outs. The fourth pitch of the at-bat was sent over the right field fence.
Just like that the scoreboard read: UNC 4" UC 2.
""I've been working a lot on outside pitches and really waiting on the ball" and I saw that on a great opportunity to do so" Murad said. So I took advantage.""
After that" Orr settled down" and it became a pitchers' duel. It wasn't until the sixth inning that the Bears strung some hits together again.
UC catcher Sanoe Kekahuna lead off the top of the sixth with a solo shot to bring the Bears within one.
""I knew I made a mistake. I missed my spot" Orr said. It's a good hitting team so when I make mistakes" I expect to get hit.""
Two hits later" the Bears were threatening again with runners on first and second and two outs. It seemed they would tie the game when UC pinch-hitter Bernice Masaniai ripped a line drive into left field" but UNC freshman Kelli Wheeler threw a laser to cut down UC pinch-runner Nikki Schrey at the plate to preserve the lead.
""She's got one of the best arms I've seen an outfielder have" and we've had some good ones" coach Donna Papa said of Wheeler.
After that, the Tar Heels held on for the 4-3 victory.
We've been trying to get to this point" Papa said. Last year we kept up a really good year. We climbed in the rankings up as high as 13th. I feel like our program is kind of on the verge" and beating a team like that definitely makes a statement.""
UNC continued its success Sunday as Spaulding struck out 14 batters in seven shutout innings. She has knocked out at least 12 batters in each of her four starts this season.
Spaulding" who hasn't allowed a run this season" said shutting down Penn State wasn't much different from what she's done to her other three victims this year.
""I don't really look at the name on the front of the jersey"" Spaulding said. I just go out there and pitch my game.""
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
