Cards Fall at North Carolina

Sunday, April 3

Chapel Hill, N.C.

9:30 AM

University of Louisville

North Carolina

April 03, 2016 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Cards rally in both games, but fall 6-5 and 8-6 in an ACC doubleheader at North Carolina

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The University of Louisville softball team was swept by North Carolina 6-5 and 8-6 in an ACC doubleheader on Sunday. The Cards fall to 24-8 and 9-3 in conference play.

North Carolina 6 – Louisville 5
In game one of the day, the Cards rallied to tie the score after being down 5-1 in the top of the third, but Berlynne Delamora's walk-off hit in the bottom of the seventh lifted the Tar Heels to a 6-5 win. The loss snapped Louisville's season high 12 game win streak.

North Carolina (19-18, 5-7) used an error and two home runs to jump to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Aquilla Mateen reached on a two-base error and two outs later, Berlynne Delamora sent a shot over the right field fence. Kendra Lynch followed with a solo homer.

In the top of the second, the Cards got a run back and left the bases loaded. Senior Brittany Sims reached on a fielder's choice and junior Jordan McNary followed with a single. An error allowed freshman Jordan Vorbrink to reach and load the bases with one out. Sophomore Sidney Melton sent a grounder to shortstop for a fielder's choice which saw Sims out at the plate for the second out of the inning. Junior Maryssa Becker walked to plate McNary and put the Cardinals on the scoreboard.

The Tar Heels put up two more runs in the home half of the inning. Kiana Sherlund delivered leadoff single and stole second. An error on Mateen's sacrifice bunt attempt sent Sherlund home. After stealing third, Mateen came home on a groundout by Taylor Wike to increase the lead to 5-1.

Louisville added another run in the top of the third. Freshman Lillie Goetz got the inning started with a hit and sophomore Jenna Jordan walked to set up Sims' RBI hit making the score 5-2.

The Cardinals used three hits to rally for three runs in the sixth. Melton led off with a single and moved to third on Becker's double. A wild pitch sent Melton home and pinch runner sophomore Jessica Adell to third. Freshman Megan Hensley's sacrifice fly pulled Louisville within a run. Sophomore Nicole Pufahl laced an RBI double down the left field to even the score at 5-5.

Louisville had a chance to take the lead in the seventh when junior Jordan McNary was hit by a pitch, stole second and moved to third on Vorbrink's groundout to put the go-ahead run on third with one out. After a groundout kept McNary at third, Becker was intentionally walked to put two runners on, but a fly out to centerfield ended the threat.

In the bottom of the seventh, Sherlund drew a leadoff walk and Mateen was safe at first on an infield hit. After a sacrifice bunt by Taylor Wike moved the runners Kristen Brown was intentionally walked to load the bases for Delamora who sent a one-out hit to right center field to drive in the game-winning run for the 6-5 final.

Becker (13-5) took the loss after giving up one earned run on three this and striking out three in 5.1 innings of relief. McNary went 2 for 3 with a run to lead the Cards at the plate. Louisville outhit North Carolina 8-6 in the game, but left a season high 13 runners on base.

Lauren Fuller (1-1) got the win, allowing five runs, four earned, on eight hits and striking out four in a complete game effort. Dellamora went 2 for 4 with three RBIs to pace the Tar Heels offensively.

North Carolina 8 – Louisville 6
In game two, Hensley went 3 for 4 with two home runs and four RBIs, but it wasn't enough as the Cards fell 8-6 in a game that featured four lead changes and two ties.

The Tar Heels again jumped to a 2-0 lead to start the game. With two outs in the bottom of the first, Kristen Brown was hit by a pitch and was called safe on a close play second on a steal attempt. Delamora delivered an RBI hit and took second on the throw. Lynch doubled Delamora home to put UNC on the board.

Louisville got both runs back in the top of the second. Goetz drew a leadoff walk and Jordan followed with a single. One out later, Sims connected on an RBI double to cut the lead in half. Melton's two-out hit plated Jordan to even the score at 2-2.

The Cards took a 4-2 lead behind Hensley's home run in the third. Becker drew a one-out walk to set up Hensley who drove a shot over the left field fence.

UNC used five straight hits to take a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the fourth when Delamora singled and Lynch followed with a double to place runners at second and third for Lauren Fuller's two-run hit. Katie Bailiff's RBI hit pulled the Tar Heels ahead for the second time in the game.

The Cardinals answered when Hensley's second home run of the game put the Cards back on top 6-5 in the fifth. McNary started the inning with a hit and one out later, Hensley crushed a shot over the left field wall for her team-best tenth homer of the season.

Louisville's lead was short-lived as the Tar Heels capitalized on a hit batter and a pair of hits to pull even in the fifth. Delamora was hit by a pitch, took second on a groundout and third on a wild pitch. Murray's RBI hit knotted the score at 6-6.

North Caroilna used a walk and four hits to regain the lead with two runs in the bottom of the sixth. Taylor Wike singled and stole second. Delamora drew a two-out walk and back-to-back RBI hits by Lynch and Fuller put the Tar Heels up 8-6.

The Cards had a scoring opportunity in the top of the seventh when Becker and Hensley connected on back-to-back hits and Goetz earned a walk to load the bases with no outs. Jordan sent a fly ball into shallow right field and pinch runner sophomore Jessica Adell was out at the plate as she attempted to score. Senior Hailey Smith was hit by a pitch to load the bases again with two outs, but UNC reliever Fuller got Sims to hit into a fielder's choice which saw Goetz out at third to end the game.

Hensley (11-3) took the loss, allowing three earned runs on three hits and striking out three in three innings of relief.

Louisville (24-8, 9-3 ACC) will return to action on Wednesday when the Cards travel to Lexington, Ky., for a game against in-state rival No. 12/14 Kentucky at 5:30 p.m.

NOTES:

This marks the first time Louisville has lost a conference series since April 3-4, 2015 when Virginia Tech swept a three-game series in Blacksburg.
Sunday's doubleheader sweep also marks the first back-to-back losses of the season for Louisville
Freshman Lillie Goetz has now reached via a hit or walk in 20 straight games
Junior Maryssa Becker extends her on-base streak to 18 games and has reached in 31 of Louisville's 32 games on the season.