Pirate Softball Finishes Off North Carolina, 4-1
February 13, 2003 | Softball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- East Carolina's softball team defeated North Carolina, 4-1, on Friday afternoon at the UNC Softball Complex. The two teams played the remainder of Thursday's game that was suspended due to darkness after five innings with ECU leading 4-1. UNC falls to 1-3, while ECU improves to 1-1.
In the first five innings on Thursday, ECU scored first in the bottom of the third inning with a home run by Kristen Johnson as the Tar Heels trailed 1-0. North Carolina answered in the top half of the fourth as junior Jessica Robinson slugged a two out single into center field to score Porter.
East Carolina pitcher Brently Bridgeforth pitched a complete game for the Pirates, giving up three hits and striking out six. UNC's Ashley Allen pitched 3.1 innings, allowing four hits, four runs, one earned run and walked four. Sophomore Brandi Griffin pitched the final 2.2 innings, giving up one hit, no runs, while striking out two.
ECU tallied three more runs in the fifth as the Tar Heels walked a couple and made two costly errors as they trailed the Pirates 4-1. Neither team managed a run in the final two innings of the game as the Pirates won by three.
Carolina scored one run, on three hits and three errors. East Carolina scored four runs, on five hits and one error.
Leading the Tar Heels offensively was Robinson. She ended the game 2-for-3 with one RBI. Porter had the other hit for UNC. Pacing ECU was Kristen Johnson who finished 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI.
ECU is scheduled to play at least four games in the Triangle Classic this weekend in Raleigh, N.C. The Pirates will take on Radford (12 p.m.) and Michigan State (4 p.m.) on Friday. A game with Temple is set for Saturday at 12 p.m., with tournament finals slated for Sunday.
