CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (theACC.com) – No. 3 seed North Carolina scored six runs in the first inning and never looked back as the Tar Heels earned an 8-4 win over No. 6 seed Syracuse in the last quarterfinal of the 2017 ACC Softball Championship at North Carolina’s Anderson Stadium.
Six Tar Heels combined for North Carolina’s seven hits on the night. Brittany Pickett earned the win for the Tar Heels while pitching the complete game and striking out seven on the night.
The Tar Heels didn’t waste any time getting runs on the board and scored six in the bottom of the first inning.
Syracuse’s Faith Cain made it 6-1 with a solo home run in the top of the second. The Orange added another run when Alicia Hansen doubled to right and drove Jessica Heese home to make it 6-2 in the top of the third.
Pickett, a National Freshman of the Year finalist, jacked her 12th homer of the season to push the Tar Heels’ lead to five runs, 7-2, in the bottom of the third.
The game was delayed due to severe weather in the area in the middle of the fourth inning. The delay lasted 72 minutes before play resumed at 10:10 p.m.
Once play resumed, the Tar Heels added one to the ledger in the bottom of the fifth to go ahead 8-2 before Syracuse’s short-lived rally in the top of the seventh.
Friday’s semifinal games include No. 1 seed Florida State against No. 5 seed Notre Dame at 1 p.m., and No. 3 seed North Carolina versus No. 7 seed NC State at 3:30 p.m. Both games will air on the ACC’s Regional Sports Networks, while Saturday’s title game will be carried live on ESPN.
NORTH CAROLINA QUOTES
UNC head coach Donna Papa on playing again after almost two weeks off and opening with a six-run first inning:
“I think they were really focused coming out. They were kind of hungry because we haven’t played in almost two weeks. We really stressed keeping everything simple and having fun and that’s what we did. We were really loose and it showed when we went up to the plate. It was a great way to start – when you start with that many runs in the first inning, your pitchers can relax a little bit, your defense can relax a little bit and if there were any nerves, it helps you get through that.”
Papa on the benefits of hosting the ACC Tournament and of playing after the end of exams
“We’ve been pretty successful playing at home, so it’s very advantageous. They can sleep in their own beds. Families are around and they have a little more free time in the day because they’re not coming from class. I think it’s a big advantage to be at home.”
Papa on advancing to face NC State on Friday
“State is a very good hitting team and I think we’re a good hitting team so it’s going to be a great battle. You’ve got four teams left now that can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Dean Smith always said, “Survive and advance,” and that’s really what you’re doing this time of year. You play one game at a time. You can’t look ahead at all.
UNC freshman pitcher Brittany Pickett on the benefits of playing at home
“We’re here, we get to sleep in our own beds. We’re comfortable here, knowing this is our place.”
UNC sophomore catcher Katie Bailiff on the break between the end of the regular season and the start of postseason play
“Having those two weeks to take exams and have a few days off really helped us prepare and get rested.”
SYRACUSE QUOTES
Opening Statement from Head Coach Mike Bosch:
“Obviously we got ourselves behind the first inning. We got behind 6-0 – that’s a big uphill battle to climb at that point with a lot of game left. I thought we chipped away and held them there, but those six runs were too much to come back from.”
Bosch on if he thought the team played well after the first inning:
“After the first inning, it was 4-2. We had four runs and they had two. The game is seven innings. The first inning we came out and walked a couple people. We tried a pitching change. The pitching change didn’t help. The movement wasn’t there and they 8-9 batters got a couple RBI for them. Once our pitching settled in a little bit, our offense had to pick it up after that. Unfortunately, only four after that. Our kids competed. They could have rolled over a little bit and got down on themselves after that first inning, but I thought that they competed hard after that first inning.”
Bosch on the season as a whole:
“I thought our season was another step forward for us. I thought we became more competitive. Obviously our win total was the best we’ve had in five years. I think the program is in an upward movement meaning that I’ve seen good things from where we’ve gone in the last two years, and I think next year will be another step forward for us. That’s where you want to go. You want to keep improving as a program and I think that’s what we did this year. I think the foundation is set for a pretty good 2018.”
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