Battery hosts third-place Silverbacks tonight

State Report

The Charleston Battery takes on USL First Division rival Atlanta at 7:30 tonight at Blackbaud Stadium.

The Battery (1-2-2, 5 points) and Silverbacks (3-2-2, 11 points) have squared off 34 times, playing each other more in the last 10 years than any other team. Tonight's soccer matchup is the first of four this year, with the Silverbacks returning to Charleston for a game on June 22, and the Battery playing at Atlanta on July 4 and Aug. 4. Atlanta is third in the league standings.

Gates open at 6:30 p.m. For ticket information, call 971-4625.

College sailing

The College of Charleston came up short in its bid for a second straight ICSA women's national championship, finishing 44 points back of champion St. Mary's (Md.) in Norfolk, Va.

The Cougars finished with 176 points in three days of sailing on the Elizabeth River, led by a first-place finish by their B division entry. Freshman skipper Allie Blecher and crew Christina Murray and Julia Southworth totaled 66 points in 16 races. C of C was fifth in A division (110 points) behind skipper Andrea Savage and crew Dani Neri and Rebecca Bestoso.

St. Mary's had 132 points. Stanford (204) finished third in the 18-team field, followed by Navy (216) and Harvard (219).

The Cougars continue in the spring nationals Sunday with the coed team's entry of the team race championship in Annapolis, Md. C of C also will be defending a title in the ICSA coed dinghy championship in Annapolis next week.

College softball

Host Northwestern scored four runs in the sixth inning en route to a 6-1 win over South Carolina in the opener of their best-of-3 NCAA super regional in Evanston, Ill.

Lindsay Walker homered in the seventh for USC's lone run.

The Wildcats (49-11), the No. 2 national seed, and USC (38-26), play Game 2 this afternoon. A third game, if necessary, would also be played today. Friday, the Wildcats' Eileen Canney (30-9) struck out 12 batters in seven innings. Melissa Hendon (20-18) took the loss.