By MONTE DUTTON

While waiting for the men’s Final Four games, which didn’t commence till 6 p.m., and while monitoring electronically local games, I enjoyed a documentary on William F. Buckley and a Randolph Scott western.

The day began with breakfast at Steamers, which now only serves it on Saturdays. Partly as a result, I suspect, the place was crammed. I went by myself but must have chatted with half a dozen people. Steamers sometimes makes me feel like a character in The Andy Griffith Show.

I gotta go get some groceries. At the house, I’m down to some crackers, peanut butter and two Pop Tarts. Most importantly, I need coffee.

Life isn’t always fair. Neither is basketball. Purdue’s Zach Edey isn’t fair.

Iowa’s women proved they could win without Caitlin Clark scoring 30-40 points. Whether they can beat South Carolina on Sunday that way is another matter. I can’t wait to see. Subconsciously, I may have been rooting for the Hawkeyes against UConn because I subconsciously thought the Gamecocks would have a tougher time with the Huskies. Now I’m not so sure. Clark’s supporting cast rose to the occasion.

I still think Carolina wins unless the outcome comes down to magic, which occasionally happens to someone other than N.C. State. Magic doesn’t work in the long run, which is why the Wolfpack is no longer around in either bracket.

Magic is a factor, though. Sometimes the wand is in an official’s hand.

The fortunes turned sour on the softball and lacrosse fields, but the PC baseball team came off the deck in Saturday on-campus action.

By virtue of a come-from-behind, 8-4, victory over Radford on Saturday, Presbyterian (15-16, 6-2 Big South) baseball has a chance to do what it hasn’t done since the last time it took on the Highlanders.

The Blue Hose haven’t won the final game of a three-game, Big South series since the last game of the 2023 season.

Charlie McDaniel (W, 5-0) allowed three home runs – by Radford’s Carson Bell, Conner Butler and Ben Williams – but only six hits. Three of the four runs were earned, but McDaniel only walked one and struck out three. Kyle Mueller pitched the final two innings.

Bell’s blast was his seventh.

Noah Lebron belted a three-run shot for the Blue Hose, his second. Brody Fahr and Jack Gorman each had two hits. Fahr, Joel Dragoo and Adam Featherstone doubled.

PC trailed 4-3 after five innings but scored two runs in the sixth and three in the seventh.

Dylan Howard (L, 2-3) gave up five runs (four earned) in six innings on the hill before yielding to Andrew Steinhaus and Trey Lundy. Radford (9-19, 2-6) catcher Brady Whitacre allowed five stolen bases, one each by Jay Wetherington, Fahr, Dragoo, Gorman and Aaron Hobson.

PC won in spite of committing three errors to Radford’s one.

The Blue Hose and Highlanders finish up on Sunday in a 2 p.m. game.

Take a look at the box here.

The Blue Hose began play on Saturday seeking a Big South softball sweep against Charleston Southern and wound up failing to get even a series win over the Buccaneers, who won both ends of a doubleheader, 6-3 and 4-1.

Home runs by Kasey Wolfe and Kenda Owens went for naught amid 11 Charleston Southern (18-18, 5-4 Big South) hits, and three sixth-inning runs doomed the Blue Hose in the opener.

The Buccaneers’ Nos. 2, 3 and 4 hitters – Carston Sandvic, Gracie Prince and Charlee Yourman – each went 2/4 and combined for four runs batted in. Prince’s double was CSU’s only extra-base hit off Peyton Duncan (L, 3-7) and Wolfe.

Nealy Lamb (W, 9-6) occupied the circle throughout for the Bucs, allowing four hits and a walk with seven strikeout.

Adding insult to 11 hits’ injury, Charleston Southern stole five bases by five different baserunners.

Kelby Goodrum and Mallory Fletcher, who doubled, had the other Presbyterian (14-26, 4-5) hits.

In the latter game, Charleston Southern again collected seven more hits (12-5) than Presbyterian, and the Blue Hose again produced no batters with more than one hit. Wolfe doubled and Kaitlyn Tucker, Owens, Emma Yanes and Logan Gric all had singles.

The Bucs also produced a single extra-base hit, Lacy Johnson’s double, but four players had multiple hits. Left fielder Weslin Jones went 3/4. Kendal Cook was 2/2, Lacy Johnson was 2/3, and Harper Schoeneweis was 2/4. Johnson drove in two.

Annah Junge (W, 6-8) allowed five hits, a walk and a hit batter, striking out six.

Jenna Greene (L, 7-10) gave up four earned runs in 3-2/3 innings. Duncan surrendered five hits but no runs in 3-1/3 innings in the circle.

The Blue are back at home next weekend, facing USC Upstate in a 6 p.m. Friday game and a 1 p.m. Saturday doubleheader.

Led by a career-best seven points from Sophia Buzelis, Furman soundly defeated Presbyterian in lacrosse, 17-6, on Saturday at Bailey Memorial Stadium.

Buzelis scored five goals and added two turnovers.

Paige Harman, the reigning Big South Offensive Player of the Week, tied her career highs of six points and four assists to go with two goals and two ground balls. Anna Roser provided four goals and Hannah Dintino three.

In goal, Lily Rathbun totaled four saves.
Brooke Chandler led the Blue Hose (1-10, 0-3 Big South)with three points on a goal and two assists. Abby Edmisten and Emma Claire Mills both scored twice. Goalies Kayleigh Aitken and Naomi Lauderbaug combined for seven saves.
Furman scored eight straight goals over the span of three periods to improve to 7-0 all-time against Presbyterian. The Paladins outscored the Blue Hose 4-0 in the third quarter and held the hosts without a goal for over 23 minutes. Furman opened the game on a 6-1 run, including three goals from Buzelis, before Chandler’s goal at the 6:24 mark of the second quarter cut its lead down to 6-2.

The 8-0 run propelled the Paladins’ advantage to 14-2 with 14:27 remaining when Sophie Shaw netted her only goal of the contest. Furman (5-7, 3-0) scored three of the game’s final four goals.
In total, six Paladins scored in the win along with Molly Faul and Mia Falco.nn
PC visits High Point (N.C.) on Wednesday.

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