College News Releases
Kristine Bechtholdt hit a solo home run, and Lindsay Campana held one of the nation's top offenses to three quiet hits as N.C. State stunned No. 13 North Carolina 1-0 in the semifinals of the ACC Softball Tournament in College Park, Md., on Saturday.
The Wolfpack (31-26) will play Virginia Tech, a 2-0 winner over Florida State on Angela Tincher's no-hitter, for the championship today at noon.
Campana (19-17), who tossed a one-hitter against Georgia Tech in the opening round, went the distance, striking out seven. Lisa Norris (17-4) took the loss for UNC (50-10-1).
ALSO SATURDAYMEN'S LACROSSENAVY 8, UNC 7: Tim Paul scored four goals, and unseeded Navy led for all but 4:21 of the match as the Midshipmen defeated fourth-seeded North Carolina in the first round of the NCAA championship at Fetzer Field in Chapel Hill.
Navy (10-5) will host either Hofstra or defending champion Johns Hopkins on Saturday in the quarterfinals at Annapolis, Md.
UNC (8-6) got three goals from junior attackman Gavin Petracca, two by junior attackman Bart Wagner, and 13 saves by junior goalkeeper Grant Zimmerman.
MEN'S TENNISUNC 4, S.C. STATE 0: North Carolina, seeded 12th in the NCAA Tournament, used early doubles momentum to blank South Carolina State in the first round of regional play at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center in Chapel Hill.
UNC (20-5) will play Duke in today's second round at 1 p.m. The winner qualifies for the NCAA championships.
NO. 43 DUKE 4, NO. 23 ARIZONA STATE 2: Duke mounted a huge comeback against Arizona State to gain a regional final berth against host UNC.
ASU (15-5) won the first two doubles matches to go up 1-0, but singles was a different story.
With Duke trailing 2-1, back-to-back wins by Dylan Arnould and Alain Michel swung the momentum back in the Devils' favor. Alex Stone then delivered the clincher for Duke (11-13), topping Wes Miller 4-6, 7-6, 6-3.
WOMEN'S TENNISNO. 9 DUKE 4, NO. 24 WILLIAM & MARY 1: Host Duke blanked William & Mary in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to advance to the round of 16.
The Blue Devils (19-4) got off to a good start with strong showings at Nos. 2 and 3 doubles from Ellah Nze and Reka Zsilinszka and Tara Iyer and Jessi Robinson.
Victories by Melissa Mang (6-0, 6-1), Amanda Granson (6-0, 6-4) and Iyer (6-2, 6-4) clinched the win for Duke.
NO. 17 ARKANSAS 4, NO. 14 UNC 3: UNC mounted a stirring rally from a 2-0 hole but came up short as the Tar Heels fell to Arkansas in the second round of the NCAA tennis regionals at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center in Chapel Hill.
Arkansas (17-9) advances to the NCAA round of 16 in Tulsa, Okla.
UNC sophomore Sanaz Marand finished with a record of 24-1 in dual-match play and a second win over the nation's top player.
Arkansas won the doubles point and the first singles match to go up 2-0, but UNC (18-9) got victories from Sophie Grabinski, Laura Reichert and Sanaz Marand to go up 3-2. Marand (24-1), a sohomore ranked ninth in the nation, beat No. 1-ranked Aurelija Miseviciute 3-6, 6-2, 6-2. In the ACC Tournament, Marand defeated then-No. 1 Ani Mijacika of Clemson.
Arkansas clinched the win when Ela Kaluder and Delia Damaschin prevailed in three-set matches.
WOMEN'S GOLFDUKE ADVANCES: For the 11th straight year, top-ranked and top-seeded Duke will participate in the NCAA Championship as the Blue Devils finished second at the NCAA East Regional in Athens, Ga.
Florida held on for a one-shot victory over the Blue Devils with a 54-hole total of 883, after posting a 298 on Saturday. Duke fired an 8-over-par 296 on the final day to finish with 884. Virginia (fifth, 898) and Wake Forest (seventh, 899) also qualified.
Duke has won the last three NCAA championships.
Duke junior Amanda Blumenherst (74) finished second in regionals for the third straight year, tying at 1-under 215 with Louisville's Sara-Maude Juneau.
South Carolina's Benedicte Toumpsin won at 2-under 214.
PACK GOLFER QUALIFIES: Junior Lauren Doughtie qualified as an individual, but N.C. State fell short by one shot as a team from making its first trip to the NCAA championship at the NCAA Central Regional in Austin, Texas.
The Wolfpack tied for 10th at 903, one shot behind LSU and Florida State. LSU won the playoff to advance. UCLA won the team title with an 861.
Doughtie shot a 1-over 73 for a 215 total to tie for fifth among a field of 108 and become the Wolfpack's first women's golfer to reach the NCAA Championship.
UNC 19TH: UNC carded an 18-over 306 in the final round for a 914 total and 19th place in the NCAA West Regional in Lincoln, Calif. Southern California topped the 21-team field with a 9-under-par 855 total.
UNC junior Sydney Crane shot a 1-over 73 for a 5-over 221, good for a tie for 22nd place.
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