SURPRISE, Ariz. — The second-ranked and defending NCAA Division II national champion Armstrong Atlantic State University women’s tennis team upended No. 1 Barry 5-3 in the quarterfinals Thursday in a four-plus hour marathon match to earn a berth into the semifinals at the Surprise Racquet & Tennis Complex.
The matchup between the last five winners of the national title did not disappoint, much like the regular-season matchup between the two teams that went to Barry 5-4. That was the only loss of the season for Armstrong (28-1), and Barry (27-1) ran the table in the regular season, heading into today’s contest unbeaten.
Armstrong heads to the semifinals for the 10th straight year. The Pirates have captured five national championships in that stretch (2005, 2008-10, 2012) and finished runner-up two times (2004, ’06) with third-place finishes in 2007 and ’11.
The Pirates will face No. 4 Hawaii Pacific — 5-1 winners over Southwest Baptist — in a noon ET semifinal match today. The other semifinal pits No. 3 BYU Hawaii against No. 5 Abilene Christian.
Doubles
Aleksandra Filipovski-Barbora Krtickova (A) def. Elizabeth Abanda-Emma Onila 8-6
Marlen Hacke-Olga Kalodzitsa (A) def. Linda Fritschken-Kimmy Twelker 8-1
Karina Goia-Isabela Miro (B) def. Clara Perez-Natasa Vukovic 8-4
Singles
Filipovski (A) def. Abanda 6-2, 6-2
Fritschken (B) def. Krtickova 6-0, 2-6, 6-2
Perez (B) def. Onila 6-4, 6-4
Miro (B) def. Vukovic 7-5, 3-6, 6-1
Hacke (A) def. Goia, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5
MEN’S TENNIS
ARMSTRONG 5,
MIDWESTERN STATE 0
SURPRISE, Ariz. — Second-ranked and defending national champion Armstrong advanced to the semifinals of the 2013 NCAA Division II Men’s Tennis Championships with a win over No. 17 Midwestern State.
The Pirates (26-1) will face third-ranked West Florida — 5-1 winners over UC San Diego in other quarterfinal action Thursday — at 9 a.m. in one national semifinal match this morning at the Surprise Racquet & Tennis Complex. No. 1 Barry faces No. 6 Concordia in the other semifinal.
Today’s semifinal matchup is a rematch of the 2012 NCAA DII National Championship match in which the Pirates won 5-0 for the program’s third national title. The two teams were scheduled to meet in the regular season in 2013 but the match was rained out.
Doubles
Dan Regan-Georgi Rumenov def. Luke Joyce-Colby Meeks 8-5
Jaan Kononov-Matus Mydla def. Tomas Grejtak-Zack Santagate 8-1
Sven Lalic-Pedro Scocuglia def. Austin Crawford-Kyle Davidson 8-7 (7-4)
Singles
Pablo Gor def. Crawford 6-1, 6-1
Rumenov def. Davidson 6-0, 6-2
BASEBALL
COLUMBUS STATE 7,
ARMSTRONG 1
GREENWOOD, S.C. — Columbus State junior Jimmy Obermark finished a single away from hitting for the cycle as he led the Cougars to a win over Armstrong in an elimination game at the Peach Belt Conference tournament at Dolny Stadium.
The Cougars (28-21) advance to face the loser between No. 6 seed Francis Marion and No. 7 seed Georgia College in another elimination game at 10 a.m. today. Armstrong (31-15) will now await word of a possible at-large berth into the NCAA regionals, to be announced Sunday.
Obermark had a double in the second inning, a two-run homer in the sixth and a triple in the eighth against the Pirates.
Columbus State starter Jordan Villhauer picked up the win in his first complete game of the season. Villhauer (6-1) allowed one earned run on five hits with six strikeouts and four walks.
Dalton Johnson (2 for 4) paced the Pirates offensively. Chris Zittrouer went 1 for 3 and drove in one run. Clayton Miller, Cody Sherlin and R.J. Dennard, who scored a run, recorded the Pirates’ only other hits in the game.
Armstrong starter Dylan Morrow (3-2) was tagged with the loss after giving up four earned runs on six hits with a strikeout and a walk in 2 2/3 innings.
SSU playing for division crown
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Savannah State could clinch a share of the Southern Division of Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference with a victory over North Carolina A&T at 6 p.m. today at War Memorial Stadium.
The teams were scheduled to play March 24 but the game was rained out.
The Tigers (28-21) have won all five meetings with A&T this season. A loss to the Aggies will give SSU the second seed behind Bethune-Cookman entering the MEAC tournament.
Currently, SSU owns a 16-7 conference record while Cookman is 17-7. Savannah State and Bethune split six games in head-to-head competition.
The game against Norfolk State scheduled for Sunday has been canceled.
SOFTBALL
SAVANNAH STATE 10,
NORFOLK STATE 6
ORMOND BEACH, Fla. — Amber Hallman drove in seven runs, and she and Madison Hedderly homered in a five-run seventh inning as the Tigers defeated Norfolk State at the MEAC tournament.
Hallman, a third baseman, went 2 for 3 with a three-run double, a three-run homer and a sacrifice fly. Hedderly went 2 for 4 with a two-run homer.
SSU had trailed Norfolk State (26-21) 6-5 entering the seventh.
Hedderly (19-9) allowed six runs (four earned), 13 hits and one walk with two strikeouts in seven innings. Norfolk’s Jamie Schulle (16-12) yielded 10 runs (five earned), 10 hits and two walks with five strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.
Shortstop Michaela Patton went 3 for 5 for SSU.
Later Thursday, SSU (26-22) defeated Bethune-Cookman (18-34) 8-1.
GEORGIA SOUTHERN 6,
WESTERN CAROLINA 0
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Georgia Southern earned a spot in the Southern Conference tournament semifinals with a win over Western Carolina.
Alexa Lewis hit a leadoff home run to set the tone for the victory. Sarah Purvis tossed a two-hit shutout for her second win in as many days.
The Eagles are in the drivers’ seat in their bracket, needing one win from two games against College of Charleston at 10 a.m. today.
The win improved the Eagles to 30-27 on the season and guaranteed the Eagles an above .500 finish for the second straight season.