Senior Kristen Brown batted in the first run for UNC (15-14), doubling to right field. The RBI gave her a team-high 32 on the year.
The pitching in the first inning rivaled the team’s hitting, as junior Kendra Lynch made quick work of the Chanticleers (15-15), forcing two ground outs and a fly out for a 1-2-3 inning.
After the first, UNC’s bats went cold, as the Tar Heels went hitless in the next three innings. While the team’s offense faltered, Lynch continued to pitch effectively, allowing just two hits and zero runs during that span.
The Tar Heels ended their three-inning scoring drought in the fifth frame. First-year infielder Berlynne Delamora led off the inning with a double, reaching third base on an error. A sacrifice fly by senior utility player Tracy Chandless scored Delamora, giving UNC a 5-0 lead.
UNC would add one more run in the sixth. The six runs were more than enough support for Lynch, who dominated Chanticleer hitters for most of the game. The junior recorded a career-high eight strikeouts while pitching six scoreless innings before allowing three runs in the seventh frame.
“I think I really kept the batters off-balance,” Lynch said. “I was hitting my spots pretty well, but I was hitting good pitches at good heights that was making it harder for them to hit the whole game.”
Along with pitching a complete game on the mound, Lynch went a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate, driving in a run with a bases-loaded single in the sixth inning.
Quotable
