Carolina Survives

Just two years removed from going to the college World Series five of the past six years Carolina for the second year in a row has won a play in game to keep their hopes alive that the NCAA Regional playoffs are still possible.

Taking advantage of shoddy Virginia Tech defense the Tar Heels got four unearned runs and then held on once Carolina tried to give the runs back to Tech in the top of the eighth.  The Heels endured a thirty seven minute rain delay in the seventh to advance to pool play besting Tech 5-3.

Carolina now opens pool play against Louisville in the prime time game tonight at 7pm.  Clemson who just swept Florida State last weekend opens pool play at 11am and the 3pm game Virginia who whitewashed Georgia Tech 11-0 in the first playin game meets Miami.

If you did like I did and started watching the Carolina game in the third inning once I got home from work then you saw about a ten minute storm past by the ball park and dumped plenty of water on the DBAP.  Right in line of the storm was Cardinal Gibbons High school where Fike was preparing to play their third round baseball game with Cardinal  Gibbons.  To say the least there was a delay in the start.

Once play started Cardinal Gibbons scored in the bottom of the first and rode a 1-0 lead into the third inning.  Fike had two runners on an a simple sacrifice bunt will prove to be the difference in this game.  The bunt was booted by Gibbons and it opened the door for two Fike runs and that was enough even though Fike added another to win their third round playoff game in baseball 3-1.  Fike must wait until Wednesday night to see who they play as C B Aycock Topsoil game in Hempstead was rained out Tuesday.

The NCHSAA announced yesterday that the state softball championships will move to NC  State and UNC G this year.  This will mark the first time that the state softball championships have been play on college campus instead of the Walnut Creek Softball Complex in Raleigh.  Softball is growing up. State championship weekend is June 5th and 6th. Which classification plays where has yet to be determined but the championships are two out of three.