The Virginia softball team left the cold and rainy Park Sunday afternoon dejected after a performance Virginia coach Cheryl Sprangel called frustrating and embarrassing.
The Cavaliers dropped to 15-27 overall and 0-2 in the ACC, losing to North Carolina (31-13, 2-0) for the second time this weekend. After the Tar Heels won Saturday's game 3-1 in an extra inning, they took an 11-6 victory in Sunday's game.
In the second game, the roof fell in on Virginia during the sixth. North Carolina scored five runs on the inning, chipping away with three infield hits and two hard errors in the inning.
Trailing by seven, Virginia got a couple runs back in the seventh when junior right fielder Meaghan Young hit a solo home run, her second of the weekend, and first baseman Kristen Dennis knocked in another score with a double down the third base line.
But it was too little, too late for the Cavaliers, who were plagued all day by poor at-bats with runners on base as Virginia batters left a total of 14 runners on base.
"We're not smart" in those situations, Sprangel said. "We don't know when to swing at a pitch and when not to."
North Carolina, on the other hand, was able to take advantage of most of its numerous opportunities. They managed to manufacture runs with workman-like effort and a little help from Virginia.
"They outsmarted us," Sprangel said. "They swung at the pitch when it was there. If it was a ball, they didn't swing at it."
Tar Heel batters scored 11 runs while knocking only two extra-base hits. They hustled their way to five infield hits, including three bunt singles. In addition, the Cavaliers helped the Carolina cause by giving up four errors and four walks.
"Basically, I try to have them hit grounders," said pitcher Stacey Zagol, who entered the game in the third. "We just need to field them. Some of those are just unfieldable."
North Carolina began the scoring in the first inning with the help of a strange play when Tar Heel sophomore Kelly Ramsey hit a ball that deflected off a defender's glove and struck base-running teammate Natalie Anter in the knee. The Cavalier defense stopped playing as Anter clutched her knee in pain, allowing Crystal Henderson to score from second.
The Cavaliers responded with an RBI double by Dennis in the bottom of the first. In the second inning, the Cavs chased Carolina starting pitcher Erin Joseph off the mound with the bases loaded and immediately took advantage of rusty reliever Michael Parrott. Parrott gave up an RBI single to Cavalier senior Amy Peay and hit freshman Ruby Rojas with a pitch, bringing in another run. However, Virginia could not manage to score another run in the inning, despite having the bases loaded with only one out.
North Carolina scored a quick run in the third inning and was threatening with runners on second and third when Sprangel decided to replace starting pitcher Chrissy Quinn with Zagol. Quinn (4-10) took the loss after facing only 15 batters.
Parrott (8-4) picked up the win for the Tar Heels, going five and two-thirds innings and gave up three runs.
"We just didn't recognize when their pitcher was struggling," Sprangel said.
Saturday's game was more competitive as both teams' pitchers performed well although the Tar Heels pulled out with a 3-1 win.
Cavalier sophomore Kristen Dennis went the distance and took the loss despite giving up only two earned runs on seven hits, striking out 10 and walking only one. For Carolina, Radar McHugh also pitched all eight innings and allowed only one run on six hits.
With the scored tied at one after seven innings, the Tar Heels scored a pair of runs in the first extra inning to seal the victory.
Virginia's only run came on Young's home run to right center in the bottom of the sixth inning.
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