Tennis Enters Break With Sweep

North Carolina opened its ACC men's tennis season Thursday afternoon with a 7-0 victory against N.C. State at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center.

The Tar Heels won two of the three doubles matches to earn the doubles point before sweeping all six singles encounters in straight sets.

UNC improved to 7-2 overall on the season and 1-0 in the ACC. The Wolfpack is 3-8 overall, 0-1 in the conference.

The No. 33 Tar Heels earned the doubles point after the No. 2 and No. 3 doubles team won in straight sets.

In singles, freshman Daniel Pinchbeck defeated Bryce McGrory 6-1, 6-3 at No. 4 singles, and sophomore Andrew Metzler defeated Jon Davis 6-3, 6-0 at No. 6 singles to increase the team lead to 3-0.

Senior Marcio Petrone then downed Matt Lucas at No. 1 by a 6-4, 6-2 score to clinch for North Carolina.

Freshman Geoff Boyd, sophomore Nicholas Monroe and junior Trystan Meniane then won in order to conclude the 7-0 victory.

The Tar Heels are idle until playing in the Blue-Gray Championships at Montgomery, Ala., next Thursday.

Softball Splits in 1st Day of Tourney

PLANT CITY, Fla. -- In the first day of play at the Speedline Invitational, the North Carolina softball team went 1-1, beating Temple 6-3 before losing to Florida Atlantic by the same score Thursday.

Against Temple in the first game, the Tar Heels totaled 11 hits and were led by senior catcher Natalie Anter, who went 3-for-3.

Senior first baseman Kelly Ramsey had a two-RBI double and sophomore shortstop Emily Price added a triple, her second three-bagger of the season for UNC.

Senior Shannon Walsh earned the win, giving up three hits and striking out seven.

In their game against Florida Atlantic, the Tar Heels got all of their runs on a three-run home run by Walsh.

The shot, over the left-center-field fence, was her second home run of the season and the team's eighth on the year.

But despite out-hitting the Lady Owls 7-5, the Tar Heels were unable to pull out the win.

Freshman Ashley Allen took the loss for North Carolina. She pitched 3 2/3 innings before being relieved by freshman Erica Ennis.

UNC (9-8) meets Mississippi on Friday at 10 a.m. and Central Michigan at 2 p.m.

On Saturday, the Tar Heels will match up against Nicholls State at 2 p.m. to wrap up pool play at the 24-team tournament.

Single-elimination bracket play begins Saturday at 5 p.m. and runs through Sunday afternoon.