University of Louisville
NORTH CAROLINA
Softball Defeats North Carolina 6-4
March 22, 2015 | Softball
Sandy Pearsall discusses the series-clinching win over North Carolina
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Maryssa Becker went 2 for 3 with three RBIs and picked up the win in the circle to lead the University of Louisville softball team to a 6-4 win over North Carolina. The victory clinched the series for the Cards who improve to 18-8 and 8-1 in ACC play. Louisville finishes the weekend tied with Florida State atop league standings.
"Obviously I'm very pleased to win the series, that was our goal coming into the weekend," said UofL head coach Sandy Pearsall. "Today, we put ourselves in the hole again... and that's something we need to work on. What I did like was the fight in this team. We came back and got it done."
Louisville 6 - North Carolina 4 (PDF)Â 
North Carolina (21-7, 6-2) jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Aquilla Mateen delivered a one-out single to set up Kristen Brown's two-run home run.
Louisville answered with a run in the home half of the first. Kelsi Jones singled and came home on Maryssa Becker's double to make the score 2-1.
The Tar Heels extended the lead to 3-1 in the second. Lauren Walker reached on a fielder's choice and moved to second on Erin Satterfield's sacrifice bunt. After a hit by Dani Garcielita, Walker crossed the plate on a wild pitch.
The Cards cut the lead to one run in the third when Whitney Arion delivered a one-out single and eventually came around to score on Ashley Nikolao's RBI hit to make it a 3-2 game.
Louisville used five hits to put up a four-spot and take a 6-3 lead in the fourth. Kayla Soles started the inning with a hit. Brittany Sims singled and Sidney Melton was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Kelsi Jones' two-run single. Becker's two-out, two-run single plated Jones and Arion who had reached on a fielder's choice.
North Carolina got a run back in the fifth when Brown connected on a two-out solo home run to make the score 6-4.
The Tar Heels attempted to rally in the sixth. Jenna Kelly led off the frame with a single and Parrish walked. Both players advanced on a wild pitch to put the tying run in scoring position with one out, but Becker got a strikeout and a groundout to end the threat.
Becker retired the final three batters of the game to get the win. She improves to 7-2 on the season after allowing one earned run on three hits and striking out three in 5.0 innings of relief. Offensively, Jones went 2 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs while Nikolao and Soles had two hits apiece.
Kaylee Carlson (11-3) took the loss after giving up six earned runs on 10 hits and striking out one on 4.0 innings. Brown led the Tar Heels with a 2 for 4, three RBI performance at the plate.
Louisville (18-8, 8-1) returns to action when it plays host to Indiana in a midweek game Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Ulmer Stadium.
