XU Gold Rush back in NAIA top 10 after climbing two places

NEW ORLEANS — For the fourth time in five polls, Xavier University of Louisiana is among the top 10 in the NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25.

The Gold Rush (13-9) climbed two spots Tuesday to No. 9 after beating Bethel (Tenn.) 6-0 and Martin Methodist 5-2 to win an NAIA National Championship qualifying tournament at Chattanooga, Tenn. XU's men qualified for the national tournament for the third consecutive year.

Xavier was No. 8, a program record, for three consecutive polls beginning March 8.

The Gold Rush are in the the top 25 for the 31st consecutive time dating to April 4, 2007 — that's the fifth longest active streak among NAIA men's teams — and it's the 22nd straight time dating to April 30, 2008, that the Gold Rush are among the top 18.

NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, May 1) Rank Team Record Points Last 1 Fresno Pacific (12) 21-2 312 1 2 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 14-6 302 2 3 Auburn Montgomery 23-3 291 3 4 Oklahoma Christian 21-1 279 5 5 Azusa Pacific 15-6 276 4 6 Westmont 12-5 262 6 7 Point Loma Nazarene 15-7 252 7 8 Vanguard 7-13 228 12 9 Xavier 13-9 225 11 10 Union (Ky.) 17-5 217 10 11 Concordia (Calif.) 8-14 207 8 12 Shorter 12-4 206 15 13 Graceland 11-5 193 13 14 William Carey 12-9 183 9 15 Lindsey Wilson 14-5 176 17 16 Aquinas 24-3 174 14 17 St. Thomas (Fla.) 14-3 157 16 18 Olivet Nazarene 14-3 132 19 19 Lewis-Clark State 10-8 127 18 20 McKendree 20-3 122 tie-20 21 Tennessee Wesleyan 11-6 115 22 22 SCAD Savannah 7-4 109 tie-20 23 Martin Methodist 14-5 90 23 24 Webber International 13-6 79 24 25 Bethany (Kan.) 19-3 69 tie-25 Others receiving votes: Lee (Tenn.) 59; Campbellsville 41, Northwood (Fla.) 23, Huntington (Ind.) 23, Cumberland 22, Lindenwood 19, Northwestern Ohio 13, Walsh 6, Our Lady of the Lake 5, Georgetown (Ky.) 1, Biola 1.

NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, May 1) Rank Team Record Points Last 1 Fresno Pacific (10) 18-4 281 1 2 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) (1) 20-3 272 2 3 Auburn Montgomery 23-5 260 4 4 Azusa Pacific 19-4 253 6 5 Oklahoma Christian 17-2 244 5 6 Point Loma Nazarene 18-3 242 3 7 Concordia (Calif.) 14-7 226 7 8 Brenau 10-7 218 8 9 SCAD Savannah 10-2 207 9 10 Vanguard 10-10 201 10 11 Southern Nazarene 14-6 184 12 12 William Carey 14-6 182 13 13 Lee (Tenn.) 9-5 171 16 14 Olivet Nazarene 19-1 160 14 15 Shorter 11-4 156 11 16-tie Indiana Wesleyan 21-1 139 17 16-tie Lewis-Clark State 6-14 139 21 18 Martin Methodist 15-5 127 18 19 Lindsey Wilson 13-5 121 23 20 Oklahoma Baptist 9-10 110 15 21 St. Thomas (Fla.) 9-9 102 19 22 Campbellsville 14-5 96 20 23 William Jewell 17-7 90 22 24 Webber International 12-9 68 24 25 Belhaven 14-3 60 25 Others receiving votes: Westmont 42, Milligan 41, Cumberlands 27, Robert Morris (Chicago) 23, Indiana Southeast 19, McKendree 17, Taylor 5, The Master's 3, Northwood (Fla.) 3, Xavier 1, Mobile 1, Georgetown (Ky.) 1, Spring Hill 1,; Marian (Ind.) 1.

Lee (Tenn.) dropped out of the top 25 after being tied for 25th in the previous poll. That snapped the Flames' streak of 47 consecutive appearances in the top 25. There are no new teams in this week's top 25, and Xavier was one of seven teams to climb. The top three teams are the same as the previous poll, with Fresno Pacific ranked first for the 14th consecutive time. Martin Methodist, 0-2 this season against Xavier, remained 23rd.

This was the seventh of eight polls this season. The final rankings will be announced Sunday.

The Gold Rush will play May 17 in the first round or May 18 in the second round of the NAIA National Championship at Mobile, Ala.

Xavier's women, whose season ended Saturday with a 5-0 loss to Milligan in the semifinals of the qualifying tournament, are out of the top 25 for the fourth consecutive time. The Gold Nuggets collected one point to tie for 35th place.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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NCCU Sibling standouts share bond

One minute with Trey and Cameron Chatman, and you immediately sense a special bond between the brother and sister.

Although they have different personalities - Cameron is reserved and laid back, while Trey has the bright grin and fiery spirit - both seemed as one as they discussed their relationship during our interview last Thursday. That bond extends onto the tennis courts at N.C. Central as well.

Cameron just finished her junior season on the women's team as the No. 2 singles players (16-4) and part of the No. 1 doubles team (12-8). Trey, a senior, accomplished his personal goal of 10 single wins. They both helped lead their teams to their best seasons since NCCU reclassified to Division I.



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Southern's Hall learned by example

Frazier Hall

Baton Rouge, LA - Hard work. It’s something every coach talks about, but something players more often learn by example.

Southern University senior first baseman Frazier Hall first began to grasp the concept of hard work watching his older brother Ben recover from brain tumor surgery a decade ago. Ben was 14 years old when a tumor was discovered in the left temporal lobe of his brain – the location that controls short-term memory.

The Hall family expected Ben to come out of brain surgery as a vegetable, sitting in wheelchair and eating from a tube for the rest of his life, not able to pursue his boyhood dreams of playing football.

“The family wouldn’t accept that so we countered that with absolute prayer and belief,” Hall said.  Miraculously, Ben was not only...

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TSU Hires Former Oakland Raiders Assistant Coach

HOUSTON - Texas Southern University, reigning champions of the Southwestern Athletic Conferrence, hired former Oakland Raiders receivers coach Charles Coe as its new offensive coordinator. Coe was the Raiders receivers coach in 2007 and worked in personnel in 2008.

Prior to that Coe was head coach at Alabama State for four years where he was 29-18 and won two SWAC East Division titles and the 2004 league championship.

"I hired Charles because of his experience and because he is a very good teacher," said Kevin Ramsey, TSU interim head coach, in an interview with FOX 26 Sports. "Charles will help us upgrade our overall football IQ and he is respected throughout the coaching profession."

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Wright helps B-CU win MEAC

PRINCESS ANNE, Md. -- Matt Wright went 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored and two RBIs, and Bethune-Cookman clinched the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference regular-season title with a 7-3 win over Maryland Eastern Shore on Sunday.

The Wildcats moved to 15-0 in the MEAC, 29-19 overall, and clinched the top seed for the conference tournament. UMES fell to 8-35 overall and 7-11 in the MEAC. Patrick Goelz (6-3) allowed two runs, neither earned, on six hits in seven innings. He fanned 11 and walked just one on his way to the victory.

With Late Inning Runs, Wildcats Overcome UMES to Complete Sweep

PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - The Wildcats battled out a pitcher’s duel through the early innings of Sunday’s finale with Maryland Eastern Shore. Beginning in the sixth, the B-CU offense picked up steam while the Wildcat defense held UMES off in the 7-3 win to sweep the Hawks and remain perfect in MEAC play, clinching the MEAC regular season crown and the number one seed for the conference tournament

Matt Wright opened up the scoring for the Wildcats in game three, as the left hander hit a high drifting solo homer beyond the right field fence to take the 1-0 lead. Brashad Johnson’s fifth inning triple to right field set up designated hitter Anthony Stokes’ groundout RBI to create a little more breathing room at 2-0, as Johnson crossed home on the play.

Much like the first games of the series, UMES played tough defense and held B-CU’s hitters without any further runs through the fifth inning, but it’s difficult to keep B-CU down for long.

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NSU softball runs streak to nine games

Junior Whitney Holland (King’s Fork) had two three-RBI games as Norfolk State swept three straight softball games against MEAC rival North Carolina A&T Saturday and Sunday in Norfolk. The Lady Spartans (19-23, 6-6) won 1-0, 12-1 and 9-0 to go to a nine-game winning streak.

Holland, NSU’s third baseman a fifth-place hitter, hit a three-run home run, her third homer of the season, and had another game with two hits and three RBI in the series, taking her RBI total to 25. The Lady Spartans are building toward the MEAC Conference Tournament May 12-14 in Ormond Beach, Fla.

Wright, Schulle Named MEAC Player, Rookie of the Week

NORFOLK, Va. – Junior Danielle Wright and freshman Jamie Schulle of the Norfolk State softball team earned a pair of weekly honors on Monday afternoon, as the duo was named the MEAC Player and Rookie of the Week, respectively, by the conference office.

Wright batted .500 for the week (12-of-24) and added 12 runs, one double, two home runs and eight RBI to lead NSU to a 7-0 record last week. The center fielder out of Safety Harbor, Fla., also stole seven bases as the Spartans swept UMES and Hampton in a pair of mid-week doubleheaders before taking all three games against North Carolina A&T over the weekend. NSU ran its win streak to nine games and improved to 19-23 overall on the season, 6-6 in the MEAC.

In the last two games of the series against the Aggies, Wright hit 5-for-9 with five runs, five RBI and two home runs. In addition to ranking seventh in the league in hitting this season, Wright also ranks in the top 6 in runs, hits, home runs, runs batted in, slugging percentage and steals. NSU’s primary leadoff hitter currently leads the team with 37 runs, 49 hits, eight home runs, 29 RBI, a .598 slugging percentage, a .432 on-base percentage and 24 steals in addition to ranking second with a .371 average.

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HBCUs seeing ‘renaissance' in NFL draft

SCSU Coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough and SC Coach Steve Spurrier
after Gamecock vs. Bulldog Football Game 10/4/09

There was a time when a South Carolina State football player signing with an NFL team was a certain post-graduate job.

Whether through the draft or free agency, a Bulldog player from the late 1960s through the mid-'90s seemed destined to earn a pro roster spot. This was also a prime period for historically black colleges, when as many as 734 players, according to ESPN.com, were selected in the draft and it was viewed as a prized recruiting market for future All-Pros and even Hall of Famers like S.C. State's Deacon Jones and Harry Carson.

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Alabama State women win SWAC track and field title

NEW ORLEANS, La.— The Alabama State University Lady Hornets held a 57-point lead heading into Sunday's final round of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) championship and did nothing to deter from that lead as the Lady Hornets won their second consecutive SWAC Outdoor Championship in commanding fashion scoring 222 points, with the second place team only scoring 106 points.

“I am very happy for the girls and so happy for these seniors,” head coach Ritchie Beene said. “Words can't explain how happy I am for what they accomplished. We had the mindset of bending but not breaking, and that is exactly what the women did. When they were tired, they pushed through.”

The men entered today's final day in sixth place and made a push during the day to wind up the championship in third place. The Hornets were only seven points behind second-place Texas Southern.

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Stillman Captures Fifth SIAC Championship; Cagle Hurls Complete Game in 3-2 Win

ALBANY, Ga. – Junior left-hander Josh Cagle fired his second complete game in less than 48 hours, pitching the Stillman College baseball team to a 3-2 win over Albany State University in the championship game of the 2011 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament at Paul Eames Complex on Sunday afternoon.

The Brookwood native was named the 2011 SIAC Tournament Most Valuable Player after his second complete game in the four-day event. The former Tuscaloosa Academy standout worked 18 innings in his two tournament starts and allowed five runs (3 ER) on nine hits with 21 strikeouts and two walks.

Shortstop Josh Beal and first baseman Jarius Brown were also named to the All-Tournament team.

Stillman College 2011 SIAC Tournament Baseball Champions - ROSTER

 Stillman (25-17) won all four games at the 2011 SIAC Tournament Championship in winning its fourth tournament championship in the last five years. The Tigers, who have won SIAC championships in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011, also secured the league's automatic bid to the 2011 NCAA Division II Tournament, which will begin on May 19. The pairings and location will be announced at a later date by the NCAA.

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Women in Sports: International duo boost ASU golf

ASU Golf Coach Dr. Gary Grandison

Montgomery, AL - Amelie Buhl and Aileen Meredith are part of something special, something they never would have envisioned five years ago.

Both are major components in Alabama State's Southwestern Athletic Conference championship women's golf team, international players leading the surge at an HBCU (Historically black colleges and universities) program.

"It's a big change compared to where I'm from," said Meredith, a sophomore from Apia, Samoa. "At first, I wasn't expecting it to be an all-black school but after the first semester my freshman year, I adapted well. At first, everything was hard and difficult but now it's nothing to me. I'm used to it. I'm enjoying myself here."

ASU golf program soaring under Grandison

What a week for the Alabama State women's golf team. And what a week for their coach, Gary Grandison. Thanks to my good friend, Pete Cobb, and the folks at Montgomery Country Club, I've been paying close attention to the job Grandison's been doing at ASU for a couple of years now. Starting out with very little, he's produced a lot, and last week brought the best production of all.

On Tuesday, the ASU women won the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament for the first time. That's as in, ever. But the Lady Hornets weren't finished.

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Alabama A&M's Frank Kearse taken by Miami Dolphins

Miami Dolphins' Frank "Big Spoon" Kearse

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - Alabama A&M defensive tackle Frank Kearse was selected by the Miami Dolphins Saturday in the NFL Draft. Kearse, taken in the seventh round, was the 231st player taken in the draft.

A 6-foot-4, 315-pounder, Kearse was a second-team All-Southwestern Athletic Conference selection after managing 57 tackles, including 30 solos and 14 tackles for loss last season. Kearse is the first A&M player taken in the draft since Johnny Baldwin was drafted by the Detroit Lions in 2007.

Savannah High grad Frank "Big Spoon" Kearse drafted by Miami Dolphins

Savannah High graduate Frank "Big Spoon" Kearse was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the seventh round of the 2011 NFL draft on Saturday night. Kearse, a 6-foot-5, 310-pound defensive tackle, attended Alabama A&M University in Huntsville, Ala.

Kearse said he was watching NFL Network at his Savannah home when he received a phone call from the Dolphins about 10 seconds before his name appeared on the television screen.

Alabama A&M's Frank Kearse taken by Miami Dolphins

Excerpt:
A captain throughout the 2009 and 2010 season, Kearse was a second-team All-SWAC. He finished with 33 tackles, a career high 12 tackles for loss for 41 yards (11th in SWAC), 3.5 sacks for 41 yards, 3 quarterback hurries, a fumble and a forced fumble. Kearse was one of the four players to block a kick attempt. In 2008, he had 30 total tackles (nine solo), 3.5 tackles for loss (14 yards), 1.0 sacks (10 yards), two interceptions (six yards), and one pass break-up.

He was the only Southwestern Athletic Conference football player taken during the 2011 NFL draft.

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Southern Jaguars Splits, Wins Western Division Championship

PINE BLUFF, Ark. — After losing the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader, the Southern baseball team turned to junior right-hander Brian Foster with a chance to win the series. Foster, who won his first start of the season at Jackson State eight days earlier, responded.

Foster got Southern through seven innings in Saturday’s second game, then made way for closer Cody Hall in a 9-2 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff to take the three-game Southwestern Athletic Conference series. The win, combined with a pair of Grambling losses at Prairie View, gave Southern the Western Division championship.

Foster, who improved to 2-0 since moving from the bullpen to the starting rotation, helped the Jaguars get back on track after a 10-6 loss to the Golden Lions in Saturday’s first game.

Box Score: UAPB 10, Southern 6

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Detroit Lions Takes South Carolina State's OT Johnny Culbreath in 7th Round

Detroit Lions Johnny Culbreath

ALLEN PARK, Mich.— The Detroit Lions took offensive lineman Johnny Culbreath with what's likely their final pick of this year's NFL draft, No. 209 overall. Culbreath, 6-foot-5, 322 pounds and a four-year starter, is from Robert Porcher's alma matter South Carolina State.

"A little bit of a developmental project but he has all the tools," Lions coach Jim Schwartz said.

The Lions have made five picks in the draft and don't have any selections remaining as the seventh round ticks down to its conclusion.

2011 NFL Draft: Jim Schwartz Discusses Johnny Culbreath Pick

Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz met with the media to discuss Johnny Culbreath, the team's seventh-round selection in the 2011 NFL Draft. Via the Lions, here is a transcript of the media session:

On T Johnny Culbreath
"Johnny, four-year starter at South Carolina State, big man, good athlete, lower-level competition, but I spent a lot of time with him. Myself, Dave Sears our area scout, and Jeremiah Washburn our assistant o-line coach went down to South Carolina's workout. We happened to be able to see South Carolina State's also. It was raining so they came over to the indoor facility. They had a really, really good workout and his tape was good so we brought him in here to spend some time with our coaches. We like his size, we like his athletic ability, he's a little bit of a developmental project, but he has the tools. He's a guy that our coaches are very anxious to work with."

On whether he'll be an inside or outside player
"It's probably too early to say. He's played tackle, could play left and right; but there's a possibility to move him to guard. He's a good athlete, bends really well, again, four-year starter. I don't know if this is the gospel truth, but he committed to Florida State out of High School and didn't have the grades, so he ended up at South Carolina State. He's got a pretty good lineage. We didn't pick him because he supposedly committed to Florida State, we picked him based on his tape from South Carolina State, based on his size and based on the workout that he had and also for when we brought him in for a physical. He wasn't at the combine, so we needed to bring him here to get a physical."

NFL Draft 2011: Johnny Culbreath Speaks About Being Picked By Detroit Lions

Shortly after becoming the Detroit Lions' seventh-round selection in the 2011 NFL Draft, South Carolina State offensive lineman Johnny Culbreath had a conference call with the media. Via the Lions, you can check some quotes from that call below.

On his journey to the NFL
"I had committed to Florida State and ended up going to South Carolina State due to grades and GPA and test scores and stuff. I had a great career there; we were three-time MEAC Championships behind me and my great offensive linemen and great running back corps. and great guys we had there. I had a lot of great achievements there. I was two-time All American; I was also player of the year in our conference my junior year. I had a really great season there. This has all worked out for the better, I guess."

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Stillman faces Albany State for SIAC title

ASU Coach Kenyon Conner

ALBANY, Ga. - The Stillman College baseball team's quest for a fourth Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament championship was put on hold Saturday afternoon at the Paul Eames Complex.

The Tigers were scheduled to play in the championship game at 5 p.m. but the game has been rescheduled for today at 11 a.m. after the Albany State University Rams won both elimination games against Tuskegee and Claflin to reach the championship game.

NCAA and SIAC rules prohibit a team from playing three games in the same calendar day, so the championship game was rescheduled for today.

Stillman (24-17) is the only undefeated team remaining in the SIAC Tournament and needs just one win to claim the school's fourth conference title in the last five years. The Tigers won tournament crowns in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

ASU arms keep Rams alive

ALBANY — An Albany State baseball team that entered the 2011 season with uncertainty and inexperience is now two wins away from winning its second straight SIAC Tournament championship.

“Everybody doubted us because we had a bunch of freshmen,” ASU interim coach Kenyon Conner said about a Rams squad that doesn’t have a single senior. “They didn’t think we would win 20 games, but we did. They didn’t think we would make it to the championship game.”

On Saturday, they did that, too. The sixth-seeded Rams (29-24) capitalized on a pair of strong pitching performances to beat Tuskegee University and Claflin University in back-to-back loser’s bracket games at Paul Eames Park, advancing to today’s championship series with Stillman College.

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Cox, Foote and Baker Earn NLC Honors

DAVIDSON, N.C. – After leaving Howard University with one of the most decorated lacrosse careers in the history of the program, senior Desiree Cox was named to the National Lacrosse Conference Second-Team All-Conference.

Last year Cox was name the NLC Attacker of the Year and compiled an astounding 68 goals, ranking her No. 7 in the nation. Her four goals per game average made her second-best in the country. She also posted 77 points, 26 draw controls and averaged 4.53 points per game in the 2009-10 season.

By the conclusion of the 2011 season Cox finished first on the team in goals (55), shots (126), draw controls (46) and points (57) and fourth in groundballs with 28.

Cox was also named to the 2011 NLC All-Academic Team alongside teammates Ashley Foote and Janae Baker.

To be eligible for recognition on the Academic All-League team, a student-athlete must be a sophomore in class standing, carry a GPA of 3.40 or above on a 4.0 scale, and have been a starter or key reserve. Cox, Foote and Baker earned grade point averages of 3.61, 3.57 and 3.42, respectively.

 Desiree Cox

First Team All-Conference
Goalie:
Juli Liebig – Longwood
Kristen Masullo - Liberty


Defense:
Lily Graham - Davidson
Rachel Hannon - Jacksonville
Hannah Riggs - Longwood

Midfield:
Alanna Parker - Davidson
Sara Kuhlman - High Point
Ellyn Spangenberg - Jacksonville
Cara O’Brian - Longwood

Attack:

Janae  Baker

Ann Fucigna - Davidson
Grace Gaeng - High Point
Morgan Derner – Jacksonville

Second Team All-Conference
Goalie:
Karli Tobin - Jacksonville

Defense:
Erin McGuire - Davidson
Jasmine Jordan - High Point
Courtney McLaughlin - High Point

Midfield:
Emily Bossonneault – Detroit
Kaitlin Stewart – Jacksonville
Jennifer Freymond – Liberty
Jamie Beamish – Presbyterian

Ashley Foote 

Attack:
Chelsea Thompson – High Point
Desiree Cox – Howard
Kelsey Dean – Longwood
Shannon Hartford - Presbyterian

Player of the Year
Goalie: Juli Liebig – Longwood
Defense: Lily Graham – Davidson
Midfield: Cara O'Brian – Longwood
Attack: Grace Gaeng – High Point
Coach of the Year: Lyndsey Boswell – High Point

By Tiffany White, Sports Information Assistant

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Howard Softball Taken Down by Morgan State, 15-9

WASHINGTON, D.C. – After sacking two wins in Saturday’s doubleheader over Morgan State, the Lady Bison looked to sweep their MEAC opponent in order to increase their chances of gaining a birth to the MEAC Championship Tournament, but fell short as the Bears took game three 15-9 at Banneker Field on Sunday afternoon.

In the first inning the Lady Bison surrendered seven runs to the Bears before responding with three runs when their turn at the plate arrived. Emily Johnson led off the game with a double and Lorae Robinson singled, pushing Johnson to third. Marisa Coats scored Johnson on a RBI groundout to second base and Rebecca Kirshner homered to bring home the remaining two runs.

After shutting out the Lady Bears in the second, Robinson tied the game at 7-7 with a grand slam. Prior to Robinson’s blast out of the park, Trina Kindred singled to left, Andascha Moore doubled and Johnson walked to fill the bases.

Ciera Gordon scored to give the Bison their first lead of the game on a sacrifice fly by Kindred.

Two errors and back-to-back doubles helped the Lady Bears regained the lead after scoring five runs. Responding first for the Lady Bison was Robinson who reached base on a bunt. Marisa Coats scored Robinson on a double to right field.

In the fifth Carly Martin entered the game to relieve Emily Johnson who gave up five unearned runs on six hits. Before leaving the circle she struck out two batters and relieved starting pitcher Samantha Gatson who gave up four hits and the first four runs of the game.
The Bears scored three times increasing their lead, 15-9.

Howard attempted to take the game in the bottom of the seventh, but fell short as Johnson grounded out to the short stop for the third out of the frame – leaving Moore on second base and Martin at third.

Johnson took the loss on the mound – giving up eight runs in four innings of work. Robinson lead the Lady Bison at the plate, going 3-for-4 with four runs scored and four RBI.

The Lady Bison will take on Maryland Eastern Shore for their regular-season finale and senior day on May 7.

Boxscore

By Jamilah Corbitt, Assistant Director of Sports Information
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Xavier Gold Rush qualify for nationals for third straight season

Xavier Tennis Coach Alan Green

"Our guys came out like men who had families to feed. We trusted each other out there and kept our composure throughout the match. When we play like that, we are very tough to beat." — XU Coach Alan Green.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The Xavier University of Louisiana men's tennis team followed the clearly defined path Saturday.

The Gold Rush, ranked 11th in the NAIA, defeated 23rd-ranked Martin Methodist 5-2 to earn an automatic bid to the national tournament for the third consecutive year. The qualifying event was for teams whose conferences did not meet requirements for automatic bids.

A loss would've left Xavier (13-9) waiting for an at-large bid to the 24-team event — a strong possibility, considering the Gold Rush's ranking — but after beating Martin Methodist (14-6) for the second time in as many tries this season, Xavier won't be involved with that suspense.

"Our guys came out like men who had families to feed," Coach Alan Green said. "We trusted each other out there and kept our composure throughout the match. When we play like that, we are very tough to beat."

Juniors Zach Taylor, Steffen Giles-Osborn and Sean Richardson won in doubles and singles for the Gold Rush. Taylor, winning for the first time in his last seven singles matches, put Xavier ahead to stay at 3-2 when he beat Renato Castro 6-1, 6-3 at No. 2. Giles-Osborn beat Alvaro Morcillo 6-3, 6-4 at No. 3 to give the Rush a 4-2 lead, and Richardson clinched with his fifth victory in six matches, a 6-3, 6-3 decision against Juan Suarez at No. 5.

Giles-Osborn and Richardson were the only Gold Rush players who were 2-0 in doubles and 2-0 in singles in the two-day, four-team qualifier.

Because of only five available players, Xavier defaulted at No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles. But the Rush did not drop a set in any of the five completed matches. Taylor and Hassan Abbas, ranked 15th among NAIA doubles teams, improved to 15-7 with an 8-0 victory against Vinicius Santos and Suarez. Giles-Osborn and Richardson teamed for an 8-6 decision against Castro and Fabio Santos. Vinicius Santos was the TranSouth Conference Player of the Year this season, and Fabio Santos and Suarez were all-conference in singles and doubles.

It was the second loss in the last 13 duals for Martin Methodist, which opened its season with a 6-3 loss to Xavier on Feb. 18 in Nashville, Tenn.

"This match seemed a bit easier," Green said. "Martin Methodist played a different doubles lineup, and I think the matchups were favorable to us."

It was Xavier's third victory of the season against a ranked NAIA opponent. The XU men have two additional victories against NAIA teams which were unranked at the time of those matches but were ranked in the most recent poll. Xavier is 7-1 at neutral sites and 4-0 in Tennessee.

Xavier's men never qualified for nationals before 2009, and they won first-round matches in both previous appearances. The NAIA National Championship will start May 17 in Mobile, Ala. Pairings will be announced by 5 p.m. on May 10.

"We look forward to playing the nation's best teams in 95-degree Gulf Coast heat," Green said.

Results



By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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Six Howard Bison Homer in Wins Over Morgan State

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Howard softball team took down Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opponent Morgan State on Saturday’s doubleheader winning game one, 7-4, and game two, 13-5. Six members of the Lady Bison (15-22, 6-5 MEAC) blasted a home run in the doubleheader giving HU a pair of wins.

Christine Sborz was the first HU player to knock one out of the park, as she brought in three runs in the first inning, following an RBI single by Marisa Coats earlier in the inning, pushing Howard to a 4-0 lead.

Shortstop Rebecca Kirshner blasted the Bison’s second homer in the sixth inning. Kirshner went 2-for-4 in the opening game, scored three times and recorded two RBI.

MSU (14-23, 7-4 MEAC) got back on the board with three runs, courtesy of a single and a home run of their own at the top of the third, leaving them one run behind Howard. The Lady Bison however, never surrendered their lead, and immediately responded to the Bears in the bottom of the third with a run.

Samantha Gatson and Emily Johnson split the mound as Gatson recorded the win while Johnson garnered the save. Gatson pitched the first three innings and allowed four hits, three runs and struck out one. Johnson pitched the remaining four innings, allowed three hits, one run and struck out six batters. Neither pitcher surrendered a walk.

In game two, Howard posted four homers and doubled the Bears in hits, 12-6. The Lady Bison got off to another big lead with four runs in the bottom of the first on four hits. Center fielder Lorae Robinson got on base first with a bunt single and went on to steal second. Coats doubled to bring Robinson home, and scored herself following a single by Kirshner. Immediately following Kirshner was Ciera Gordon who posted Howard’s third homer of the day.


Videographer: Howardgospelchoir; The Howard Gospel Choir of Howard University sings "Thank You, Lord" during the Release Tour (Spring Break 2011 Tour) at the Berean Seventh-day Adventist Church (Atlanta, GA). Soloist: LaJoyce Denson

In the second inning, Morgan State responded with three runs along with their first homer of the game. Howard was silenced in the second when it was their turn at the plate, but went on to score runs in each of the remaining four frames.

In the third inning both Trina Kindred and Johnson blasted home runs and Coats followed suit in the bottom of the sixth to end the game and give HU their second win of the day.

Martin was given the win as she struck out two, allowed two runs and two hits. Johnson who started off the game, also struck out two and gave up three runs and four hits.

The Lady Bison softball team will look to sweep Morgan State tomorrow when the teams face off at noon in hopes of securing a spot to the MEAC Championship tournament in Daytona, Fla. Visit www.howard-bison.com for more updates on the Howard softball team.

By Tiffany White, Sports Information Assistant
VISIT: HOWARD UNIVERSITY
VISIT: HOWARDBISON
VISIT: MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
VISIT: MSUBEARS

NFL 49ers Draft Florida A&M's Cornerback Curtis Holcomb -- Confident He Is A Complete Player!

Excerpt:

In looking over the newest 49ers conference call transcript (posted after the jump), it is safe to say Curtis Holcomb does not lack that confidence. Holcomb was the 49ers last pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, coming off the board at 250th overall. You could argue he finds himself in a similar situation to that of  Phillip Adams (South Carolina State University) who was also a seventh round defensive back selection. While Holcomb and Adams are different players, Holcomb will follow him in the sense of trying to battle for what could be one of the final roster spots.

In fact, Holcomb and Adams likely will be battling each other for that spot. Adams has the advantage of a year under his belt in the NFL, but he also is dealing with recovery from his season-ending ankle injury. It's never too early to start considering roster and positional battles, and it is safe to say this will be one of those battles whenever football starts back up.

CB Curtis Holcomb April 30, 2011 San Franciso 49ers Conference Call: Listen to Audio


Videographer: rockmanthething; CB Curtis Holcomb FAMU Pro Day 2011.

VISIT: FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY
VISIT: FAMUATHLETICS

Xavier Gold Nuggets' season ends with semifinal loss to Milligan

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Just call it a pause in the recent success of the Xavier University of Louisiana women's tennis program.

Milligan defeated the Gold Nuggets 5-0 Saturday in the semifinals of an NAIA National Championship qualifying tournament. That ended Xavier's bid for a fourth consecutive appearance at next month's national tournament, and it ended the Nuggets' season at 4-18 — a sharp contrast to Coach Alan Green's first seven teams, which won nearly 70 percent of their dual matches.

"We'll be back," Green said. "Recruiting for next season is going well. We have some young talent coming back next season, and they're going to improve. I expect us to return to form."

Xavier dropped out of the top 25 on March 22 after 44 consecutive appearances dating to 2004, and the Nuggets won't appear the final top 25 for the first time since 2003. But Green said one important component never disappeared this season.

"Our women played hard this entire year," Green said. "I'm proud of each of them. The fight they showed will carry them in life, further than any amount of wins could ever do."

The 2010-11 Xavier University of Louisiana women's tennis team.
Amber Brown, Melissa DeLoach, Nicole DeLoach, Yazmin Hooper,
Courtney Martin, Ashley McGill, Carmen Nelson and Coach Alan Green

Milligan (12-6) swept the three doubles matches — the closest was Albany Kelly and Caitlin Conley's 8-6 victory over Carmen Nelson and Melissa DeLoach at the first flight — and the Buffaloes clinched when Halie Winfrey beat freshman walk-on Courtney Martin 6-2, 6-0 at No. 5 singles.

Two Xavier freshmen led their singles matches when the dual ended. Amber Brown led Kelly 6-4, 2-2 at No. 2, and Nicole DeLoach, Melissa's sister, led Celeste Carpenter 6-1, 4-3 at No. 4.

It was the final collegiate competition for Melissa DeLoach, a four-year letterwoman and this year's team MVP, and Ashley McGill. DeLoach trailed 6-4, 1-0 against Caitlin Conley at No. 3 singles when the dual ended. McGill and Martin lost 8-4 to Jessie Rose Remegi and JoLynne Heidt at No. 3 doubles, and Heidt beat McGill 6-1, 6-1 at No. 6 singles to give Milligan a 4-0 lead.

The Nuggets played the entire regular season with five players, resulting in automatic defaults at No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles against opponents at full strength. The schedule was difficult too — half of the Nuggets' losses were to NCAA Division I opponents, and there were four more defeats against ranked NAIA opponents.

"We're not looking for any sympathy," Green said. "Like I said, our women battled all year. We hope to be much better on the court next season, and we'll try again to play as hard a schedule as we can. We'll look forward to those challenges."

Results

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

Howard University Lacrosse Falls Short in NLC Consolation Game to Liberty, 16-13

DAVIDSON, N.C. – After dropping to Jacksonville in the National Lacrosse Conference quarterfinals, the Howard lacrosse team was awarded a consolation game where they faced the Liberty Flames. Despite fighting back from a seven-point deficit, the Lady Bison (4-13) were unable to score enough before time expired, officially ending their season with a 16-3 loss. Ironically just one year ago, the tables were turned as the Lady Bison defeated Liberty (7-11) in their final game of the 2010 season with a 17-11 victory.

Liberty got off to a 3-0 start before Cynithia Smalls got on board for the Lady Bison with 22:57 on the clock. Senior Desiree Cox added a goal while freshmanCourtland Lackey tacked on two scores in the first half.

The score was 10-4 by halftime and Howard began their offensive attack to attempt to get back in the game and went on a 5-2 run until the clock hit 10:51.

2011 Howard University LAX ROSTER

Smalls, Cox and Lackey scored in the run before Liberty scattered the third goal of the half, pushing the game to a 13-9 score. Cox scored two back-to-back goals to inch Howard within two goals, the closest that the Bison had been to Liberty's lead all game. Liberty, however, slowly pulled away with two additional goals and another in the final minutes of the game.

Lackey and senior Ashley Lawrence also scored late in the game, but it was not enough to overcome the Flames' then-15-13 lead.

Both Lackey and Cox finished with five goals a piece to led the Bison while Smalls finished with two goals and the Bison's lone assist. Lackey also led the team in groundballs with five while Cox recorded four draw controls. Both Smalls and Lackey tallied a pair of caused turnovers.

For more information on the Lady Bison lacrosse team, visit www.howard-bison.com.

By Tiffany White, Sports Information Assistant
VISIT: HOWARD UNIVERSITY
VISIT: HOWARDBISON