This past weekend, the North Carolina softball team (28-25, 15-8 ACC) split a two-game affair in New York against Syracuse (28-19, 9-12 ACC) in its final conference series of the regular season.
The third game was scheduled as part of a Saturday doubleheader, but was canceled due to rain.
Game One
On Friday evening, the Tar Heels got things off to a good start in Syracuse with a 5-1 win over the Orange in the series opener.
After three and a half innings had passed and neither team had scored, Syracuse took charge in the bottom of the fourth, scoring the first run of the game on an RBI fielder's choice to take a 1-0 lead.
However, North Carolina did not let the Orange hold the lead for long. The Tar Heels exploded for five runs in the top of the fifth inning.
Redshirt first-year Kristina Burkhardt led off the inning with a walk. First-year Megan Dray then bunted the ball to the third baseman, who threw Burkhardt out at second.
After pinch-runner sophomore Hailey Cole stole second base, junior Destiny DeBerry singled up the middle of the field. Cole advanced to third base, and DeBerry then used her speed to the team’s advantage and advanced to second base on the throw in from the outfield.
With runners on second and third base, junior Leah Murray reached on a fielder’s choice and Cole scored to tie the score, 1-1.