BLACKSBURG – An eight-run, eight-hit sixth inning helped the University of North Carolina softball squad rally for a 12-8 victory over Virginia Tech Sunday afternoon at Tech Softball Park. The Hokies led 7-2, but the big inning helped lift the Tar Heels to the win to take the series.

The Hokies jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning when Amanda Ake hit a grand slam off the scoreboard to plate Lauren Gaskill, Vanessa Gonzalez and Katey Smith. UNC got a single run in both the second and third innings to cut the lead to two, but Kylie McGoldrick drove in Kat Banks with a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning before Smith doubled to the gap to drive in Gaskill and Gonzalez to make it 7-2.

Things were looking for the Hokies heading to the sixth inning, but the Tar Heels exploded for an eight spot thanks to a pair of home runs as they sent 12 batters to the plate. Tech tried to rally in the sixth inning as they recorded a pair of hits, but neither scored and in then UNC scored two more runs in the seventh on a home run to ice it.

Dani Anderson connected on a solo home run in the seventh to account for the final score.

Tech recorded nine hits in the game, two apiece from Gaskill and Banks. McGoldrick, Gonzalez, Smith, Anderson and Ake each had one.

The Hokie pitchers gave up a 21 hits to UNC batters. Maggie Tyler went 3.2 innings, allowing six runs on 13 hits with three strikeouts and walk. Kelly Heinz (L, 4-5) allowed six runs on eight hits with three strikeouts.

With the win, UNC (8-8, 2-1 ACC) won the series 2-1. The last time the Hokies won the season series with UNC was in 2007 when they swept the Heels in Chapel Hill. Tech fell to 8-7 overall, 1-2 in the ACC with Sunday’s loss.

The Hokies will head to Florida next weekend to play in the Parents’ Weekend Tournament hosted by Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton.

For updates on Virginia Tech softball, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @VT_Softball