Chapel Hill, N.C. – Alex Coleman reached base safely five times and Sanaa Thompson drove in six runs to lead North Carolina to a 13-5 victory over Furman on Wednesday evening at Anderson Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C.
 
The Tar Heels (17-3) plated multiple runs in every inning, including four in the bottom half of the first, and took advantage of 10 walks and three Paladin miscues in the field to secure the victory. Coleman drew the first of five first-inning walks to leadoff the bottom of the first and Thompson launched a three-run blast off the left field foul pole two batters later to stake North Carolina to a 3-0 lead. 
 
Furman starter Taylor Miller, who allowed all four runs in the opening frame without retiring a batter, took the loss for the Paladins to slip to 1-3 in the circle. She walked three of the four batters she faced and all four came around to score.
 
Thompson and Abby Settlemyre added RBI singles in the bottom of the second and Thompson drove in two more runs with a single to left field in the bottom of the third to push the Tar Heel lead to 8-0 after three innings.
 
Furman answered with a five-run top of the fourth. Ashlee Lykins and Sylvia Burroughs worked walks to start the frame before the Paladins got on the board on Kiley Perry's single to center field. Following a strikeout and a walk, which loaded the bases, Hannah Poole bounced an RBI single into center to chase starter Britton Rogers from the game. Christina McCoy batted in a run with a ground out and Caitlin Goldwait reached on an error on an infield chopper that allowed two more Paladins to cross the plate and slice the margin to 8-5.
 
North Carolina answered quickly, however, in the bottom of the fourth with three runs. A pair of two-out, infield singles and two walks started the rally before Settlemyre singled to center field to score two more runs. Furman failed to retire a batter in the fifth as a base on balls, two singles, and fielder's choice helped the Tar Heels plate two more runs to force the mercy rule.
 
Rogers, who allowed three earned runs on two hits and four walks over 3.1 innings earned the victory to improve to 7-0 in the circle. She gave up five total runs while fanning three batters.
 
Coleman, UNC's leadoff hitter, went 4-for-4 with four singles and a walk while scoring four runs. Thompson went 3-for-3 with a homer and six RBIs. She reached base safely in each of her four trips to the plate. Settlemyre finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs.
 
Perry and Poole recorded Furman's only hits. Burroughs drew a pair of walks and Lykins also drew a base on balls to reach base safely for the 16^th consecutive game.
 
The Paladins (10-9) are back in action this weekend, March 8-10, at Georgia's Bulldog Classic in Athens, Ga. Furman opens tournament play on Friday at 3:30 p.m. versus Jacksonville State.