UNC softball takes down Georgia Tech, 8-3, to win the series

UNC softball (32-13, 10-8 ACC) defeated Georgia Tech (26-17, 10-8 ACC), 8-3, Sunday afternoon at Anderson Softball Stadium.  

Junior pitcher Kenna Raye Dark started in the circle for North Carolina. Georgia Tech came out aggressive, grounding the ball out to second base on the first pitch, but UNC’s defense was quick to get the ball to senior first baseman Carlie Myrtle to send Paige Vukadinovich out. 

With two runners on base, Dark struck out Alyssa Willer to leave the runners stranded and bring North Carolina’s offense on the field. 

Junior left fielder Lexie Roberts was first up to bat and singled to left center field. Senior right fielder Alex Coleman then bunted to get Roberts to second and an error by the Yellow Jackets allowed Coleman to advance to first. 

Graduate second baseman Kat Rodriquez grounded the ball out to third to allow Roberts and Coleman to advance to third and second. Sophomore midfielder Sanaa Thompson then grounded another single, which was emphasized by another error by Georgia Tech, to allow Roberts and Coleman to score. 

Thompson stole two bases off of wild pitches from Sophia Voyles but was left on third base after graduate designated hitter Kiannah Pierce’s fly ball was caught. 

Dark started the second with a strikeout, which was followed by a crazy flying catch by Thompson in center field. It was a quick three-up, three-down by the Tar Heels defense. 

“We put pressure on the defense and good things happen,” Coleman said. We roll as a line up in order one through nine and pressure, pressure, pressure.”

Sophomore catcher Rayna Blackwell was struck out to start the bottom of the second, followed by a walk for graduate third baseman Shelby Barbee. Graduate shortstop Grace Jackson and Roberts had back-to-back singles as Coleman stepped up to the plate. Coleman then singled up the middle to allow Jackson to score UNC’s third run of the game. 

“We put two up in the first and one in the second,” head coach Megan Smith Lyon said. “So we definitely kept that momentum going and we were super confident with that today.”

It was a quick third inning with all three fly balls by each team easily caught by the defenses. 

The top of the fourth inning was similar, with the Yellow Jackets staying scoreless. Blackwell notched a single up the middle followed by another single by Jackson along the left field line. 

Georgia Tech changed pitchers to Makayla Coffield who gave up a bunt by Roberts to make the bases loaded. Coleman then singled up the middle which allowed first-year pinch hitter Bryten Burns to score. 

The Yellow Jackets put Voyles back in to pitch as Rodriguez was up to bat. She singled to the right as both Roberts and Jackson advanced to home. 

With two outs and two runners on base, Myrtle hit a fly ball to left field. What looked like an easy catch was missed by Willer, which gave Rodriguez and Coleman the ability to score. The Tar Heels scored five runs off of five hits in the fourth inning to keep the score 8-0 entering the fifth. 

“Our slappers locked in on putting pressure on them, getting air with their slaps,” Lyon said.

After back-to-back quick throws to Myrtle at first, Dark allowed two on base. With just one out left, head coach Megan Smith Lyon put sophomore pitcher Nikki Harris in the circle. 

With the bases loaded, Eliana Gottlieb sent one over Thompson’s head to allow three Yellow Jackets to score. Thompson then redeemed herself by catching Gracyn Tucker’s fly ball to send UNC’s offense on the field. 

Despite a single by Jackson and a walk by Roberts, the Tar Heels were not able to generate momentum in the bottom of the fifth. 

The sixth inning was a quick three-up, three-down for Georgia Tech, and the Tar Heels left two on base as they entered the final inning up 8-3.

North Carolina closed out the game with a running catch by Thompson to win 8-3. 

The Tar Heels will travel to UNC Wilmington and will play on Tuesday, April 15 at 5 p.m.

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