The North Carolina softball team (21-4, 3-0 ACC) defeated Pittsburgh (10-13, 0-3 ACC), 8-4, on Sunday afternoon at Anderson Softball Stadium.
UNC escaped a late scare from the Panthers to complete a sweep of their first ACC series of the year. The key for North Carolina was its nine strikeouts, keeping Pitt under control for most of the afternoon.
“It was nice to see the staff work together, we trust them fully when they’re out there,” graduate designated player Kiannah Pierce said. “To have Kenna to go that long after throwing a complete game, to see Britton come in and shut them down, there was never a doubt that the pitchers had the game in control the whole time”
Making her 13th start of the season, junior right-handed pitcher Kenna Raye Dark got the game started for the Tar Heels. Other than a single, it was smooth sailing for UNC early as they got three easy outs.
In the bottom of the first inning, North Carolina opened the scoring with a homer blasted to center field from graduate second baseman Kat Rodriguez.
Dark got her second strikeout of the day against the first batter in the top of the second, and after another Pitt single, she got her third to close out the half-inning.
Pitt’s pitching struggles started to show in the bottom of the second, as two walks and a single loaded the bases for the Tar Heels. UNC failed to capitalize, as a line out and a fly out left all three runners stranded.
Dark had her share of struggles as she hit two batters in a row after her fourth strikeout, escaping the inning unscathed after a ground out left two Panther runners on base.
Rodriguez’s second hit of the game was a single that earned her an RBI following an errant Pitt throw that allowed junior left fielder Lexie Roberts to score an unearned run.
