The Dalton State Roadrunners built an 18-point margin and held on for a 69-67 win over Martin Methodist in an SSAC men's basketball semifinal Friday in Montgomery, Ala. The second-seeded Roadrunners (26-4), ranked No. 3 in NAIA Division I, will play top seed and 13th-ranked William Carey for the title tonight. Reed Dungan was 7-of-10 on 3-point shots in leading DSC with 24 points, while Carnilious Simmons had 13 points and 14 rebounds and Isaiah Box had eight assists. Mon'Darius Black contributed three steals. Caleb Chowbay had 29 points and 11 rebounds for 25th-ranked MMC.
Softball
* The UTC softball team beat Bryant 5-2 and lost 10-2 to Florida International on Friday in the first day of the Diamond 9 Citrus Classic near Orlando, Fla. Payten Price pitched a six-hitter in the win, when Amanda Beltran hit a two-run double and Alyssa Coppinger also batted in two runs for the Mocs (6-10). Hayleigh Weissenbach and Brook Womack each was 2-for-3. Ashley Conner and J.J. Hamill each was 2-for-3 in the loss, Conner singling Hamill home twice.
* Kaleigh Wynne led Chattanooga State to 7-0 and 9-4 wins at Motlow State in their TCCAA openers Friday. Wynne (6-2) pitched a three-hitter with nine strikeouts and was 2-for-3 with a home run in the first game and went 4-for-4 with two homers and four RBIs in game two, when Devan Brown had three RBIs and Alaeni Ray was 3-for-4 with a double behind winning pitcher Abby Hicks (3-1). Haley Johnson homered twice and plated four runs in the first game for the Lady Tigers (12-4, 2-0), and Madison Kurtz was 3-for-4 with an RBI.
* Covenant College defeated Wesleyan (Ga.) 7-0 and 13-5 in its USA South openers, as Casey Grover went 3-for-4 with three RBIs in the first game and was 1-for-1 with two runs in the rematch. Jordan Brett was 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI and Madyson Gibbins was 2-for-3 in the opener, when Carsyn Stone and Tyler Eppes combined on a four-hitter for the Lady Scots (6-4). Gibbons and Erika Mast each had three RBIs in game two, and Stone and Kaitlyn Sirmons had two apiece.
* Bryan College lost 6-2 and 11-3 at Cumberland, which scored six runs in the first inning of the day with Courtney Miles blasting a three-run homer and Kassydi Montgomery adding a two-run shot. Bryan's Marissa Murray was 3-for-3 with an RBI and Heidi Smith homered in the first game, when Madison Owens pitched 5 2/3 innings of four-hit relief. Smith was 3-for-3 and scored a run for the Lady Lions (4-8) in game two, while Brianna Gregory and Jocelyn Hernandez combined to go 5-for-7 with five RBIs and three runs for Cumberland.
* Marie Collop pitched a five-hitting two-hitter with nine strikeouts and was 2-for-3 with an RBI in Berry's 13-0 SAA win over visiting Sewanee. They play at Sewanee today. Berry is 14-0, 4-0; the Tigers are 0-6, 0-4.
Baseball
* Joel Johnson's two-run home run capped a three-run sixth inning that gave Covenant a 3-2 USA South baseball victory over visiting Maryville College on Friday. Matt Reitz pitched a four-hitter with 10 strikeouts for Covenant (6-7), and Luke Harvey set a program record for career stolen bases with his 56th.
* Wade Weinburger was 3-for-3 with a homer, three RBIs and three runs, Lake Burris was 2-for-3 with three RBIs, Trevor Behrent homered and drove in two runs and Kila Zuttermeister scored three as Bryan beat visiting St. Andrews 13-3 in AAC baseball. Chris Sauve-Gebhart (4-1) allowed four hits and struck out eight in his six innings.
* Cleveland State lost 8-5 in its TCCAA opener Friday at Roane State. The Raiders broke open a scoreless game with six unearned runs in the fourth inning. John Sharpe homered, doubled and batted in two runs and Hagan Kennedy homered and scored twice for the Cougars (8-3), and Trent Elliott was 2-for-3 with an RBI double. Hooper Mills struck out 10 Raiders and gave up only two earned runs on seven hits in his 7 1/3 innings.
* Motlow State beat visiting Chattanooga State 4-2 in their TCCAA opener.