UNC softball swept by No. 22 Duke after 3-0 loss on Sunday

DURHAM — UNC softball (29-12, 8-7 ACC) fell to No. 22 Duke (29-12, 10-5 ACC), 3-0, Sunday afternoon at Duke Softball Field.  

The first inning started with a single by senior right fielder Alex Coleman. A walk for graduate second baseman Kat Rodriquez sent Coleman to second but a double play off of sophomore midfielder Sanaa Thompson’s hit sent the defense onto the field.

Redshirt senior pitcher Britton Rogers started in the circle for the Tar Heels. Rogers walked Thessa Malau’ulu and then Aminah Vega hit one, but the defense was quick on the double play. Graduate third baseman Shelby Barbee then showed off her height, boasting a huge vertical jump to send the game into the second inning. 

Graduate designated hitter Kiannah Pierce smashed a double to start the inning. The Tar Heels were not able to capitalize on this double with Barbee striking out as the score stayed 0-0.

“My second at-bat, I had a runner at third,” Rodriquez said. “I definitely could have had a better at-bat there.”

With the Blue Devils up to bat, Jada Baker sent the ball to left field. Barbee missed the ball to give Baker a single. But Barbee made up for this error with a quick ground ball pick up and sent the game into the third. 

The third inning started with a walk for graduate infielder Grace Jackson. Junior left fielder Lexie Roberts then bunted to get Jackson to second. A single from Coleman got Jackson to third with Thompson up to hit, but Thompson’s quick, speedy hit was caught mid air, keeping UNC scoreless. 

The first run of the game came off an RBI from Ana Gold, whose hit to left field sent Malau’ulu home and put Duke up 1-0 at the bottom of the third. Gold then stole third base off a wild pitch but Thompson’s fly ball catch didn’t allow her to advance to home.

In the top of the fourth, UNC was able to get two players on third and second but once again, wasn’t able to get someone home. 

Kairi Rodriguez hit an RBI double down the left field line to send D’Auna Jennings in for another Duke run. With Rogers giving up two runs, North Carolina called on first-year pitcher Lilly Parrish who closed out the fourth. 

In the fifth inning, the Tar Heels put up three consecutive singles by Coleman, Rodriquez and Thompson but still couldn’t secure a run. 

In the bottom of the inning, a single to left field by KK Mathis sent in Gold for the Blue Devils’ third run of the game.

The Tar Heels changed up the batting lineup a little in the sixth, putting sophomore catcher Rayna Blackwell in. Blackwell knocked a double but was the only one who produced anything offensively. 

The defense held the Blue Devils in offense and entered the final inning down 3-0. 

North Carolina was quick to start the seventh, with back-to-back singles by Roberts and Coleman. With Roberts and Coleman still on base and two outs, senior first baseman Carlie Myrtle was up to bat. Myrtle was struck out, closing the game 3-0. 

“I thought today we did a really good job of containing their offense,” head coach Megan Smith Lyon said. “I thought our defense did well. Our pitching showed up and did much better. They were much more confident and poised in the circle.”

The Tar Heels will be back at Anderson Field on Wednesday, April 9 at 6 p.m. to play East Carolina University. 

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