North Carolina softball team wins opening scrimmages

In North Carolina softball’s first game against UNC-Greensboro on Friday, the Tar Heels needed a combined perfect game-effort from two freshmen pitchers to ensure the 3-0 victory.

But it took the bats of two upperclassmen to seal the 3-1 win in the second game of the doubleheader.

In the second game, UNC-G took a one-run lead in the top of the sixth inning, and the Tar Heels hadn’t been able to record a hit since the second inning.

But when senior Brittany McKinney stepped to the plate with two outs and runners on second and third, she knew she had to be the one to deliver.

“As a senior, I need to set an example and step up,” she said.

And she did. McKinney sent a double to deep left field, sending in freshman Amy Nece for the tying run.

In the next at bat, junior Constance Orr scorched a ball to the warning track in right field, clearing the bases and giving North Carolina the decisive 3-1 lead.

“We call her ‘Connie Clutch’ — she is a clutch hitter,” UNC coach Donna Papa said. “When the lights are on, she can get it done.”

Papa said that her upperclassmen were the difference in taking the two games away from the Spartans.

“It’s experience,” Papa said. “And that experience definitely shined through.”

The first game of the twin bill featured a more dominant effort from UNC. Pitcher Lori Spingola was perfect through five, then fellow freshman Sara Buchholz closed the final two innings in the same fashion.

Offense came early for UNC in the first game. Orr doubled to right in the first inning, driving in sophomore Tisha Mahon. Two innings later, McKinney ripped a two-run home run to center field, driving in the other two runs in UNC’s 3-0 victory.

The doubleheader served as the first two games this year for the UNC softball team. The Tar Heels will play two more scrimmages to complete this fall’s slate.

Papa said that these fall games are critical to getting practice before the regular season starts in the spring.

“It’s huge to have games like these in the fall because they get rid of these preseason jitters,” she said. “It lets us as coaches see things we’ve been working on and see some weaknesses.”

Papa added that she was impressed with her team’s composure, especially in the second game when the Tar Heels were trailing late in the contest.

“I feel like we didn’t panic,” she said. “We didn’t look like, ‘Oh God, what are we doing now?’”

Papa also noted that it was good experience for the team to finally play after only practicing in previous weeks.

She said that a team can only practice for so long without experiencing a game day.

“I hope they had fun,” she said. “Because I know I did.”

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.