Dark Dominates, Bats Come Alive as Tar Heels Open Season with 4-1 Win Over St. Joseph’s
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - It didn’t take long for Carolina softball to find its rhythm in the 2026 season. Behind a vintage performance from ace pitcher - who notched her 30th career complete game - the Tar Heels opened their campaign with a 4-1 win over St. Joseph’s on Thursday night.
Let’s start in the circle. Making her season debut, Dark was locked in from the first pitch.
She scattered hits, struck out three, and surrendered just a single run - marking the 44th time in her career she’s held an opponent to one run or fewer. That kind of consistency is rare, and it’s a big reason why she remains the heartbeat of this Carolina squad.
When she’s dealing like that, the Tar Heels are tough to beat.
On the offensive side, it took a few innings to get going, but once the bats warmed up, Carolina made it count. The breakthrough came in the fourth, when Sanaa Thompson ripped a triple to ignite the offense. In her first start wearing Carolina blue, Lindsay Lumsden stepped up with a sac fly to bring Thompson home - a simple but effective play that cracked the scoring open.
The fifth inning is where things really turned. Sydney Horton, making her Tar Heel debut, delivered her first career hit to help set the table.
Michele Tarpey, also in her first game for Carolina, followed with a sac fly to plate Horton. Then Emily LeGette capped the rally with a clutch single to center, driving in two more and giving Carolina a comfortable cushion.
In total, four players made their collegiate or Tar Heel debuts - and they made their presence felt. Horton, Tarpey, and Lumsden all contributed directly to the scoring, showing that this team’s depth and youth could be a real asset moving forward.
For those who love a good stat nugget: this was the 76th time in program history - and the fourth under Coach Smith-Lyon - that Carolina has won a game by a 4-1 scoreline. A familiar number, but one that signals a strong, balanced performance on both sides of the ball.
Bottom line? The Tar Heels opened the season with a statement. With Dark anchoring the defense and a mix of veterans and fresh faces stepping up at the plate, Carolina looks poised to make some noise this year.