Softball Splits Syracuse Doubleheader

Saturday, April 15

Chapel Hill

11 a.m.

North Carolina

18-24, 0

Syracuse

13-20-1, 0

SYRACUSE

North Carolina

Photo by: ANTHONY SORBELLINI

April 15, 2023 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The Carolina softball team (18-25, 7-9 Atlantic Coast Conference) split its doubleheader with Syracuse (14-20-1, 4-11-1 ACC) on Saturday afternoon in Anderson Stadium. The Tar Heels took game one 7-5 before falling to the Orange 5-4 in game two.

Skyler Brooks led Carolina offensively, going 4-of-5 at the plate, including her second triple of the season, with two runs. Abby Settlemyre, who tallied a pair of hits on the day, had a team-best three RBIs and two of the team's four doubles.

In the circle, Lilli Backes (10-12) earned her fourth win in her last five appearances, finishing with a line of six hits, five runs, four earned, with seven strikeouts. Talia Hannappel pitched a hitless seventh inning in game one to record her second save of the season.

GAME ONE – UNC: 7, Syracuse: 5
After Syracuse got on the board first in the top of the second, scoring on an RBI double, Carolina scored seven unanswered runs.

Pinch hitter Lexi Godwin got the Heels on the board in the second with an RBI single in, scoring Brooks, before Isabela Emerling scored on a Syracuse error, making it 2-1. Settlemyre then plated another two runs with an RBI double to give Carolina a 4-1 lead.

Destiny Middleton, with an RBI double, and Emerling, with an RBI sacrifice fly, added to the Heels' lead in the third, making it 6-1.

Carlie Myrtle put Carolina up 7-1 with the team's second sacrifice fly of the game in the fifth.

Syracuse then hit two home runs in the sixth, both two-run shots, to get within two, 7-5. Hannappel was able to keep the Orange hitless in the seventh to seal the Carolina win.

GAME TWO– UNC: 4, Syracuse: 5
Syracuse took game two in come-from-behind fashion. The Orange once again took an early lead, scoring on an RBI groundout in the top of the first to go ahead 1-0.

Carolina then put up four runs in the bottom of the third off a Settlemyre RBI double, a Godwin sacrifice fly and a Middleton RBI single, making it 4-1.

The Orange got a run back in the fourth, scoring on a Tar Heel error. Trailing 4-2, down to the final out, Syracuse then hit a three-run home run in the seventh to take a 5-4 lead. Carolina was then retired in order in the bottom of the seventh.

Kenna Raye Dark (4-6) took the loss in the circle, despite allowing just one earned run. She allowed eight hits and three walks with a strikeout.

The Tar Heels will look to take the series on Sunday at 2 p.m, which will be broadcasted on ACC Network.

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