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Monday
A rough weekend for
UNC tennis, page 7
12The Daily Tar HeelMonday, April 10, 1989
Pitch i ne, def emise lead softtbafl I to toy mament wi dm
SPOETS
By NATALIE SEKICKY
Stafl Writer
The UNC Softball team, led by two
strong pitching performances by
Tracy Brower, defeated the compe
tition and the rain Sunday to win the
second annual Carolina Pride Invi
tational Softball Tournament at
Finley Field.
North Carolina combined domi
nant pitching with consistent hitting
to beat Austin Peay 6-0, North
Carolina A&T 10-0 and George
Mason 4-1 to win the rain-amended
round robin competition.
The Tar Heels' record improved to
23-12 with the wins.
North Carolina got off to a rocky
start against Austin Peay. In the top
of the first, the Governors' Leigh
Pettyjohn ripped a single down the
.ax la
By ANDREW PODOLSKY
Assistant Sports Editor
When you think of the premiere
consistent, classy program in college
basketball, you think of UNC. In
college football, it's Notre Dame.
Unfortunately for the fifth-ranked
UNC lacrosse team, when it comes
to lacrosse, there's none better than
the seemingly invincible Johns Hop
kins Blue Jays.
This Hopkins team is one that has
won seven national titles in the last
17 years. It's a team that has had 27
first-team All-Americans in the 80s.
It is also a team that, heading into
Saturday, had beaten the Tar Heels
the last three times the teams had met
and all three games were decided
by one goal.
North Carolina has been aggres
sively trying to wrestle the title "best
lacrosse team in the nation" from
JHU since 1977, when the rivalry
started. Hopkins leads the series 9
6, with eight of those games having
been decided by one goal.
But number-one ranked and unde
feated Hopkins struck a decisive blow
towards claiming the title of nation's
best with a rough-and-tumble 16-10
win over UNC on Saturday before
2,500 rain-soaked fans in Kenan
Stadium.
The win improved the Blue Jays
to 6-0 on the year, while UNC
dropped it's second straight game to
fall to 6-3.
"We lost a lot of face-offs, but I
thought we played hard and tough
all day," said UNC head coach Willie
Scroggs after the game. "Give credit
far Heels
By NEIL AMATO
Stiff Writer
If at first you don't succeed, try,
try again.
- Although that theory actually
worked in reverse order, the UNC
baseball squad got a run on "Plan
B" to pick up a key ACC victory over
.Virginia-
: Ron Maurer's bloop single with
Jwo outs in the bottom of the 14th
inning sent Jesse Levis home, giving
the Tar Heels a 5-4 decision in a four
hour marathon at Boshamer Stadium
Sunday. The win upped North Carol
ina's record to 18-8 and 7-2 in the
ACC.
Maurer failed to get a bunt down
on a suicide squeeze play with the
bases loaded before slapping a looper
that landed just inches inside the right
field foul line.
Junior shortstop Ron Maurer,
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left field line. Pettyjohn moved to
second when Jane Goodson bunted,
and first baseman Jena Houttekier's
throw to second was too late.
Brower's first pitch to Peay's
Connie Campbell was in the dirt, and
both runners advanced. Campbell
flied out to shortstop Gina Elmore,
and Carol Gray hit a flare that Elmore
tracked down at the fringe behind
third base.
When the Governors' Missy Sapp
drove an 0-2 pitch deep to the gap
in left-center, it looked as if North
Carolina would not escape
unscathed. However, UNC left fielder
Jenny Reed got a beat on the ball
and made a run-saving catch over her
shoulder.
In the bottom of the first, Tar Heel
second baseman Vicki Parrott was
to Hookioiis
to Hopkins. They are a very good
team, and their shots were on target.
We feel pretty good with our perfor
mance. I thought we gave them a
good game the way they've been
blowing some teams away this
season."
A good game might be an under
statement. The young Tar Heels
played the Blue Jays to an even
standstill for three of the four
quarters. But in the fateful third
quarter, defending national cham
pion Hopkins showed why everyone
seems to think that their 1989 team
might be their best ever.
Three minutes into the quarter,
JHU exploded for seven goals while
holding the Tar Heels to a single tally
breaking open a tight 5-5 game
and transforming it into a rout.
UNC did give the Blue Jays some
fits in the first half, however. After
Hopkins jumped out to a quick 1
0 lead 1:06 into the game, Niell
Redfern and Dennis Goldstein com
bined for three tallies to catapult the
Tar Heels to a 3-1 lead. Redfern
scored the first and third goals for
UNC, both from close range. For
Goldstein, who led UNC with four
goals, the fun was just beginning."
Hopkins bounced back and scored
two goals in the last 2:07 of the first
quarter to tie the score at 3-3. The
game started pretty much as
expected. Both teams are known for
tenacious, stick-checking defenses.
With physical checks, hounding
defenses and great saves by Hopkins
All-American goalie Quint Kessenich
and UNC's Pat Olmert, neither team
survive
The suicide play, which worked to
perfection in the ninth to tie the game
at four, was botched the second time.
"I would go back and do it again,"
UNC head coach Mike Roberts said
about the scrapped squeeze. "It was
.a cat-and-mouse situation. Some
times you win and sometimes you
lose. In the ninth inning, we won. In
the 14th, we lost."
Maurer, who went 2 for 5 on the
day and played solidly at short,
described his Texas-leaguer as
chance.
"It was a lucky swing," Maurer
said. "It was a low, outside pitch, and
I just got it to hit the line."
The winning pitcher for UNC was
sophomore Brad Woodall, who
pitched five innings after playing first
base in "the opening nine. Despite
giving up the Cavaliers' go-ahead
who knocked In the Tar Heels'
safe on a fielder's choice and came
home on center fielder Tracey Nar
wid's triple to center. Narwid scored
on a mishandled chopper to third by
Michelle Rupp. Two infield errors
enabled Tracey Beine to score, and
UNC led 3-0.
Austin Peay had no other serious
scoring opportunities as Brower and
the UNC defense settled down to
business. Brower scattered a total of
seven hits, all singles, over seven
innings, walked none and struck out
two.
The match-up between UNC and
North Carolina A&T was never really
a game, ending after five innings
because of the Tar Heels' 10 run lead.
A&T's pitcher would have been more
at home in a slow pitch game, and
had many clean shots.
Goldstein counted his second goal
of the day' with a string of acrobatic
moves through three defenders for a
4-3 UNC lead. After JHU's Wilkins
rifled a shot from 14 yards out to
tie the game, UNC's Michael Thomas
completed a series of beautifully
orchestrated passes with a goal from
the left corner. A JHU fast-break goal
made the score 5-5 at the half.
After two quarters of near flawless
play, UNC goalie Olmert had trouble
in the third stanza. Each Blue Jay
goal was about two inches out of his
reach, as Olmert seemed to be in the
right position but couldn't come up
with the save.
"I was just too anxious, and I was
just too tense on some of the shots,"
explained a dejected Olmert.
To Olmert 's credit, the goals were
not entirely his fault. Breakdowns in
the normally-tough UNC defense
forced Olmert to face one-on-one
confrontations the JHU shooters
were just one step quicker.
"The goalie is the guy who has the
most influence on the game, and
(Olmert) didn't stop some of the long
shots that we know he can," Scroggs,
said. "But we stand behind him, and
we know hell be there for us the rest
of the year."
UNC staged a comeback in the
fourth quarter, with Thomas and
Goldstein hitting two goals in the first
minute of the quarter to bring the
score to 12-8. But Hopkins bounced
back with three scores for a 15-8
advantage.
The game exposed some problems
Cavs Din 14 ommiDini
wins in the ninth, Woodall kept the
Wahoos from adding to its total in
the extra frames.
"I didn't have my control when I
came in," Woodall said of his shaky
start on the mound. "I felt OK later,
but then I started to get a little tired."
Feeling fatigue was something
expected of Woodall since it was the
longest stretch he had pitched on the
year.
The Tar Heels, who fell behind in
the top of the first on a Wahoo
sacrifice fly, finally got on the board
in the seventh. After second baseman
Dave Arendas singled, right fielder
Darren Villani hit a gapper to left
center that brought Arendas home.
After an error, a walk and a popout
by Levis, Wahoo walk-on Kevin
Stock balked home the go-ahead run.
It appeared UNC would hold on
DTHEvan Eile
winning run, grounds to third
North Carolina teed off for 13 hits.
Rupp and Reed each had three.
"When you play a team like that,
their pitching is a lot different," said
head coach Donna Papa. "You need
lots of discipline at the plate. We
never take anyone lightly."
Senior pitcher Regina Finn threw
a two-hitter, striking out three and
walking one. Her record improved to
8-6.
The championship game pitted
UNC against George Mason. A walk
and two consecutive bunt singles
loaded the bases for the Patriots and
prompted Papa to huddle her infield
on the mound.
"Basically I told them to make the
play, to be a little more aggressive
on defense," Papa said.
George Mason's Deborah Geek
hi
v
mm
UNC defenseman Joe Breschi
for UNC. The team was having
trouble scoring this year, but was
playing probably the best defense in
the nation.
The quick Hopkins team played
extremely tight and aggressive
defense, but UNC scored anyway
to its one-run lead until starter
Michael Hoog began to tire. Hoog,
who pitched 8 13 innings and gave
up only four hits, left a man on second
in the ninth to reliever Jim Dough
erty. Dougherty hit the next batter
and then gave up a single to load the
bases.
Roberts then brought, in Woodall
to try to put out the fire. After striking
out Doug Johnson with an off-speed
pitch, Woodall walked in the tying
run on four pitches. What seemed to
be the knockout blow for the Tar
Heels was John McCrory's double
that scored two, giving Virginia a 4
2 lead.
One reason Roberts might have
decided to go with Woodall is that
he had pitched against the Wahoos
last weekend.
"We thought he could pitch well
against Virginia because he has a
good curveball and a good off-speed
pitch," Roberts said. "We felt con
fident that Brad could get them out.
It's one of those situations where you
go with a gut feeling."
North Carolina came back to tie
in the bottom half of the inning when
Steve Estroff, who came in for
Woodall at first, was hit by a pitch.
After pinch-runner Dedric Powell
sped his way to third, pinch-hitter
Matt Wooten got him home with a
sacrifice fly to right, sending Villani,
who had reached on a walk, to third.
Lead off hitter Ryan Howison then
squeezed Villani home to put the Tar
Heels back in business. But UNC's
number-two hitter Levis, who went
into the game with a blistering .409
batting average, struck out, sending
the game into extra innings.
The victory gave Woodall his
second win against no losses in his
long relief appearance. The Tar
Heels, who are still very much in the
ACC race, also defeated Maryland
in the first game of a twin-bill on
Saturday. UNC won the ACC battle
7-3 and the second game was washed
out due to rain.
The Tar Heels continue their ACC
slate tomorrow, when they travel to
Duke to take on the Blue Devils.
Game time is 3 p.m. "
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grounded to second, and Parrott 's
decision to get the sure out at first
enabled Cindy Ruff to score from
third. Two fly outs to the outfield got
the Tar Heels out of the inning.
In the bottom of the fifth, Elmore
bunted for a single and took second
on a sacrifice bunt by Reed. Elmore
moved to third on a wild pitch by
Amy Kunkle. Elmore scored when
shortstop Julie Frise bobbled Brow
er's grounder.
With two out in the bottom of the
sixth and runners on first and second,
Reed hit a roller to Patriot second
baseman Ruff, who fielded it and
attempted to tag Elmore in the
baseline. Ruff dropped the ball before
the tag and collided with Elmore.
Beine scored from second, and
Elmore, who was forced to leave the
V
HTrtiiViWft-winimtTfiiMni i
races upfield In Saturday's 16-10
with a patient offense. Ten goals
against one of the best defenses in
the nation was exactly what Scroggs
needed.
What Scroggs didn't count on was
the high number of defensive break
downs the Tar Heels had. The
Sunday play drops
UNC s
By ERIC WAGNON
Staff Writer
The UNC men's golf team led
Virginia Commonwealth by seven
strokes and Duke by eight after
Saturday's first round of the Tar
Heel Invitational, but Blue Devil
John Karcher's final round of 66
on Sunday helped catapult Duke
into the top spot. North Carolina's
third-place finish out of 13 teams
marked the first time since 1982
that the Tar Heels did not win the
tournament, held annually at
Finley Golf Course.
The tournament was originally
scheduled for Friday and Satur
day, but rain on Friday pushed
the schedule back one day.
Although the rain continued
intermittently on Saturday, the
players were able to finish 1 8 holes.
"It's disappointing to lose
certainly at home," 12th-year
UNC coach Devon Brouse said.
"You've got to congratulate the
Duke team for really a fine effort
today, and John Karcher's 66 out
there in the conditions is an
outstanding round."
In the first round, Tar Heel
sophomore Neal Sullivan posted
a team-leading 70, two strokes
back of first-round individual
leader Jon Hurst of Old Domin
ion. After shooting a 77 in the first
round, freshman Pat Moore
rebounded to post a team-best
score of 71 in the final round.
Sullivan's results were nearly
opposite of Moore's, as Sullivan
shined on Saturday but scored a
77 on Sunday, seven strokes
behind his first-round effort. On
Sunday, Sullivan played in the
threesome with Duke's Karcher.
Sullivan could only stand back
and watch as Karcher avoided
even a single bogey in the round
for his tournament-best 66. Com
bined with his 71 on Saturday,
Karcher's two-day total of 137
earned him top individual honors
game after the collision, was awarded ;
second due to defensive obstruction.'
With the score 2-1, Brower helped ;
her own cause by stroking a double
to deep center, driving in pinch
runner Finn and Reed.
Brewer allowed four hits and one :
run, struck out eight and walked one.
With Sunday's wins her record :
improved to 15-6.
Papa said fatigue was not a prob
lem for Brower or the rest of the Tar
Heels, despite playing three games in
less than eight hours.
"Fast pitch pitchers can pitch two
games in a day with no problem,"
Papa said. "The last three tourna
ments we've played we played two or
three games in one day. It's a. matter
of pushing the runs across the plate,
and today we did it."
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loss to No. 1 Johns Hopkins
problem is consistency. If the Tar
Heels can put both offense and
defense together on a regular, basis,
they have the potential to give teams
like Hopkins, Syracuse, Loyola and
Maryland trouble in the NCAA
tournament.
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:oIfeir to 3rd
for the tournament.
"To have (Karcher) play so well
is exciting," Duke coach Rod
Myers said. "He's been really
working probably harder than any
player IVe ever had at Duke. He's
a little on the high-strung side, and
he worries about extra things, so
it was really nice to see that flow
together."
Myers' Blue Devil squad needed
an impressive final round to win,
and Karcher's effort along with
Bruce Kenerson's 71 and Peter
O'Brien's 72 was enough to give
Duke a nine-stroke margin over
second-place N.C. State. Third
place UNC finished one stroke
behind the Wolfpack and Virginia
Commonwealth finished fourth.
In individual results, Karcher,
Hurst and Rex Kuramoto of East
Tennessee State finished in the top
three spots.
"When I came over here today,
I really wasn't expecting to win,"
Myers said. "I was just hoping that
we could play solid, because I
didn't think Carolina would play
as poorly as they did. I thought
they played better yesterday (Sat
urday) than I thought they could
under those conditions."
Tar Heel senior Jim Sower
wine's two-day total of 146 was
the lowest score among UNC
golfers.
UNC's next action will be the
three-day ACC tournament at the
Northgreen Country Club in
Rocky Mount next weekend.
"Wake's ranked third right now,
so they're the team to beat,
obviously," Brouse said. "Clemson :
has proven that they've got a great
team, being first-ranked early in
the spring. Georgia Tech is our
third-best ranked team at 10th.
We've been ranked 15th, and now
Duke and State seem to be playing
better. Virginia played great last
week, so it should be an outstand
ing tournament next week."