Spring Sports Round-Up

FSU opened the three-round tournament with a 334, 20 shots behind the eventual winners. After both teams shot 317 on the second day, the Broncs bested Belmont Abbey by five shots (319- 324) on the final day to finish 15 shots behind (970-955). Pfeiffer was able to grab second place with a three-day total of 969, one shot better than the Broncos. The Broncos' 970 tied them with Barton College for third place.

FSU's Ian Milne finished tied for second in the individual competition.

Howard wins its first-ever MEAC softball title, advances to playoffs
SEVERN Md. _ Howard University won the 2007 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Softball title with a 17-0 victory over North Carolina A&T State University Monday at Randazzo Softball Park in Severn, Maryland. Howard's Courtney Young was selected as the outstanding performer at the championship, while Howard Head Coach Tonja Braxton was named the outstanding coach.

Howard, the fourth seed in the tournament, hit four home runs and Howard starting pitcher Dale McNeal pitched a one-hit shutout to lead the Bison to its first-ever MEAC softball title. The two teams matched up on Sunday with the fifth-seeded Aggies topping the Bison 13-8 forcing a second championship game, based on the double elimination bracket.

The win Monday earns the Bison (35-19) an automatic bid to the NCAA Softball Tournament, where they will play in the Tucson, Ariz., Regional on Friday against the University of Arizona at 6:30 p.m., MST.

Young earned Outstanding Performer accolades after leading the Bison with two hits, including a home run, three RBI and two runs scored in the deciding game. Young, a freshman, was also named MEAC Rookie of the Year last week.

The Bison scored seven runs in the bottom of the first inning highlighted by a two-run RBI double by Young. In the second, back-to-back home runs put the Bison up by nine. The Bison closed out the Aggies with two more home runs in the third. Brianne Gutierrez had a three-hit, three-RBI performance and Fallon Jones added two RBI for the Bison.

McNeal, who surrendered eight earned runs and two grand slams to the Aggies on Sunday, was an infield hit away from pitching a no-hitter on Monday. She improved to 21-11 on the season. Sasha Philpot (18-11) took the loss for the Aggies. The Aggies end their season at 30-30.

Southwestern Athletic Conference champion Mississippi Valley State (29-26) begins play Friday, May 18 in the Carbondale Region against No. 14 DePaul (41-11).

Virginia State, Stillman, West Virginia State in Div. II Baseball Regionals
CIAA champion Virginia State, SIAC champ Stillman and WVIAC champion West Virginia State are among the 48 teams that will participate in the 2007 NCAA Division II Baseball Championship beginning this week.

Play will be May 17-20 in eight regionals with six teams competing in double-elimination tournaments. Regional champions will advance to the double-elimination championship finals May 25 to June 1 at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery, Alabama, which will be hosted by Valdosta State University and the city of Montgomery.

Teams that will play and their seeds in the Regional brackets are listed below:

SITES/PAIRINGS:
NORTH ATLANTIC REGIONAL at Kutztown, Pa.
1. *Kutztown 45-5 2. West Virginia State 36-15 3. California (Pennsylvania) 36-15 4. Slippery Rock 33-15 5. West Chester 30-15 6. Shippensburg 27-22

South Regional at Tampa, Florida
1. *Tampa 45-9 2. Tusculum 48-12 3. Carson-Newman 36-18 4. Florida Gulf Coast 39-15 Florida Southern 40-14 6. Stillman 26-17

South Atlantic Regional at Kinston, NC
1. *Mount Olive 46-11 2. Columbus State 43-17 3. GC&SU 44-13 4. Armstrong Atlantic State 39-21 5. South Carolina-Aiken 38-22 6. Virginia State 22-29

© 2007 Azeez Communications, Inc.

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