UNC bounces back to salvage game 3

The Georgia Tech softball team was hoping to sweep North Carolina Sunday in Atlanta, but the visitors from Chapel Hill had other ideas.

Amber Parrish drove in five runs, including a booming grand slam to help North Carolina pull away in a 15-6 victory at Mewborn Field.

Tech (21-17, 10-12 Atlantic Coast Conference) had swept a doubleheader Saturday and was down just 7-6 in game three when North Carolina (22-20, 13-9) opened things up in the top of the seventh.

Reliever Kanani Cabrales started the inning and didn’t record an out as five consecutive Tar Heels reached base with Jordan Scarboro and Aquilla Mateen coming up with run-scoring singles to make it a 9-6 game. Kylie Kleinschmidt, who started the game, re-entered and walked Amy Nece to force in a run, then Carolina added another run on a fielder’s choice. Kleinschmidt walked Jenna Kelly to re-load the bases before Parrish crushed a grand slam to center field to cap the scoring.

The Yellow Jackets were down 7-3, but got a run in the fifth on an RBI-single by Karly Fullem, then two more in the sixth on run-scoring infield singles from Alysha Rudnik and Samantha Pierannunzi.

North Carolina used four different pitchers and Lori Spingola started and pitched the first three innings, then re-entered and pitched the final 1 1/3 innings to pick up the win.

Parrish wasn’t the only offensive star for the Tar Heels. Mateen was excellent from the lead off spot, reaching base all five times she came to the plate, including the last four on singles. Meanwhile, Erin Satterfield delivered a two-run double and Parrish added a run-scoring single as part of a four-run third in which Carolina took the lead for good at 4-0.

Tech got to within 4-3 on Maddie Lionberger’s two-run double in the fourth.

Kleinschmidt pitched a total of six innings, allowed 10 runs, (though just five were earned) and took the loss.

Tech hosts in-state rival Georgia in a non-conference game Wednesday at 7 p.m.