Tar Heels Outlast Orange in ACC Opener

Friday, March 6

Chapel Hill, NC

6 PM

Syracuse University

8-10, 0-1

North Carolina

9-11, 3-1

Syracuse

North Carolina

3/6/2020 9:35:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – It was a loss to begin Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) play in 2020, as Syracuse (8-10, 0-1 ACC) was defeated by North Carolina (9-11, 3-1 ACC), 3-2, Friday night in Chapel Hill. It was the 16^th meeting between the two programs and the 10^th win for the Tar Heels.

Mia Cunnings and Alexis Kaiser registered the only two hits and the only two runs batted-in of the ball game for the Orange. Kaiser now leads 'Cuse in RBIs with 12 on the season and Cunnings extended her hitting streak to four games. It was also Cunnings' third consecutive game with an RBI.

Alexa Romero went the distance for the Orange in the circle, surrendering two earned runs and striking out three batters.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The bats were nearly silent in the opening two innings, as a single from North Carolina's Abby Settlemyre was the only hit for either team. Of the six outs Romero got in the first two frames, three were strikeouts. Gabby Teran was the only baserunner for the Orange after she was hit by a pitch in the top of the first.

The Tar Heels scored first in the bottom of the third. With two outs and runners on first and second, it was a single to left from senior Campbell Hutcherson that brought in sophomore Shayla Thompson to give the home team a 1-0 edge. The inning ended on the play, as freshman Destiny Middleton was thrown out at third base trying to advance.

With Teran in scoring position after being hit with another pitch and advancing to second on a Neli Casares-Maher groundout, Cunnings drove a double over the head of the North Carolina left fielder. The freshman's sixth run batted-in of the season evened the score at one after three and a half innings.

The Tar Heels loaded the bases with two outs in the home half of the fourth after 'Cuse dropped a foul ball and took advantage of the miscue, drawing a walk to take the lead back. Abby Settlemyre provided an insurance tally for North Carolina with a solo home run to dead center field, extending their advantage to 3-1.

The Orange got a run back in the top of the sixth with a two-out RBI double from Kaiser, but the Tar Heels were able to hang on for the 3-2 victory, retiring Syracuse in order in the top of the seventh.

UP NEXT
The middle game of this three game series between the Orange and the Tar Heels is scheduled for tomorrow, March 7, at 1 p.m. The game can be viewed on ACC Network Extra.

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