UNC softball drops second game of series, 14-7, to No. 22 Duke

DURHAM — The North Carolina softball team (29-11, 8-6 ACC) fell to the No. 19 Duke Blue Devils (28-12, 9-5 ACC), 14-7, on Saturday afternoon at Duke Softball Stadium.

It was a derby in Durham, with a combined 21 runs and 35 combined hits. Despite the high-powered offense from both sides, Duke had the clear advantage, responding to UNC’s comeback attempts again and again.

“A lot of times when teams score that many in the first inning, the team quits,” head coach Megan Smith Lyon said. “I wanted them to lift that burden and just go out there and scrape together as many runs as we could and work on winning innings.”

The Blue Devils started the match right where they left off on Friday’s run rule, scoring three runs before forcing the Tar Heels to switch pitchers.

Junior Kenna Raye Dark, fresh off of pitching three innings on Friday, subbed in for first-year starting pitcher Lily Parrish.

That substitution failed to change anything. Duke scored three more runs before UNC got its first out of the game. The Blue Devils had gone through their entire batting order in the first inning.

A pop-fly finally ended a disastrous inning for the Tar Heels. Duke had scored six runs on eight hits, making it 6-0 going into the second.

“[The energy was] pretty down when we got back in,” Senior first baseman Carlie Myrtle said. “Coach Smith says, shut off, we have to separate defense from offense, and when we did that, it just all started to click.”

UNC was still searching for its first run of the game.

Graduate third baseman Shelby Barbee would deliver, rocketing a homer past the left field wall. 

The Tar Heels didn’t capitalize, leaving two runners stranded. Several lengthy reviews appeared to take the wind out of both team’s sails.

Dark held the Blue Devils to just one hit and zero runs in the bottom of the second. UNC had captured the momentum.

An RBI single from sophomore catcher Raegan Carlson bounced past a dashing Duke outfielder, allowing graduate second baseman Kat Rodriguez to score from second.   

This forced a Blue Devil pitching change, but a strikeout on the first batter left two Tar Heel runners stranded. It was 6-2 going into the bottom of the third.

UNC loaded the bases in the top of the fourth with Rodriguez coming to the plate. Rodriguez's hit didn’t quite make it out of the park, but her sacrifice fly brought a run in.

Senior first baseman Carlie Myrtle’s single brought in two runs, and graduate shortstop Kiannah Pierce’s double off the right field wall brought in another.

Carlson brought in one more and forced another Duke change in the circle. North Carolina had captured their first lead of the game, 7-6.

“People don’t believe that we should be where we’re at,” Myrtle said. “Us coming back from that deficit just proves what kind of team we are. We’re here to fight with the big dogs.”

The Blue Devils responded with an RBI single, and a muffed fly ball let two more score, putting them back up, 9-7.

The home run derby for Duke was on in the bottom of the fifth. The Blue Devils registered back-to-back homers, a solo and a three-runner, making their lead 13-7. 

This onslaught meant Dark's day was over. Sophomore Nikki Harris entered the circle for the Tar Heels.

UNC barely escaped the run rule, getting the final out of the inning right after another Duke run made the score 14-7.

A potential sixth inning homer that would’ve run ruled North Carolina was plucked out of the air over the right field wall, giving UNC one last shot.

The Tar Heels failed to mount a late comeback, not scoring a single run since the fourth.

“We were much more competitive, you could tell that we had a belief today,” Lyon said. “There’s a lot to build on from that, a lot of positives from that.”

Next up, North Carolina will be back at Duke for the final game of the series on Sunday at 3 p.m. at Duke Softball Stadium.

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