| May 20, 2004
Contact: Kyle Stephens (210) 887-3636
UTSA softball's record season comes to an end with 4-0 loss to North Carolina Box Score
WACO, Texas - One of the best seasons in UTSA softball history came to an end with a 4-0 loss to North Carolina late Thursday at the NCAA Regional at Getterman Stadium.
The Southland Conference champion Roadrunners end their season at 37-17, the second-most victories in school history (39, 2000). North Carolina improves to 44-21 and will play the loser of the Seton Hall/LSU game on Friday.
UTSA hit the ball hard all night, but could not find many holes in the Tar Heels defense. Senior Christy Brownlee had a two-out double over the center fielder's head in the top of the first and sophomore Stacey Gillespie lined a hard single up the middle in the third but both runners were stranded.
However, North Carolina capitalized on five hits in the first three frames to take a 3-0 lead into the fourth.
With one out in the bottom of the first, Marissa May dropped a perfect bunt single inside the third base line and Dionne Streete followed with a line-drive double to the left field wall to put runners at second and third. May scored on a sacrifice fly to left field by Emily Price to stake the Tar Heels to an early 1-0 lead.
In the third, UNC struck for two more runs on two hits, a walk and a double-steal to extend its lead to 3-0.
UTSA would attempt a rally in the top of the fifth. Gillespie walked and sophomore Jenny Garcia singled in the hole between third and shortstop to put runners at first and second with one out. UNC pitcher Alison Yin got out of the inning on a pair of tough flyouts to left field.
The Tar Heels tacked on one run in the bottom of the sixth. Jessica Young led off with a single and pinch-runner Julia Bove reached third on two wild pitches. After a walk to Joslin Higgins, Bove scored on a double-steal attempt to put UNC up 4-0.
Junior Jennifer Davis provided the Roadrunners with one last spark in the top of the seventh, leading off with a triple down the right field line. Once again, Yin was able to keep the shutout intact, retiring the next three batters in order.
Yin improved to 18-7 on the season, scattering four hits and striking out three. Freshman Ursula Mares allowed four runs, three earned, on eight hits and struck out six. She ended the season with a 28-11 record, the second-best wins total on UTSA's single-season chart.
NCAA Waco Regional
Getterman Stadium - Baylor University
No. 6-seed North Carolina 4, No. 7-seed UTSA 0
UTSA000 000 0 - 0 4 2
UNC102 001 x - 4 8 1
Mares and Els. Yin and Nicholas. WP - Yin (18-7). LP - Mares (28-11). Save - none. 3B - UTSA: Davis (2); UNC: Streete (2). 2B - UTSA: Brownlee (9); UNC: Streete (21). Attend. - 983.
Records - UTSA (37-17). UNC (44-21).
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