WAKEMED SOCCER PARK/ CARY—It was an odd affair all around at WakeMed Soccer Park. A rather hastily arranged late-season friendly against Pumas Morelos, a Mexican second-division side from the city of Cuernavaca, was enlivened by the presence of Claudio Suarez, a distinguished 41-year-old retired Mexican international who has participated in three World Cups.…

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DBAP/ DURHAM—Over in the International League West Division, the shortest possible distance separates the top two teams: Columbus and Louisville are half a game apart going into Monday's finale. It doesn't exactly matter what happens to those two teams today, because both have clinched playoff berths.…

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FIVE COUNTY STADIUM/ZEBULON The Carolina Mudcats are playing their penultimate game of the season today in Game 3 of their four-game set against the Tennessee Smokies.

The Chicago Cubs affiliate has had its way with the Mudcats this season just as with the rest of the Southern League.…

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UNC associate head football coach John Blake has resigned effective immediately in the wake of Saturday night’s season-opening loss to LSU in Atlanta.

Blake, who was also recruiting coordinator and defensive line coach, was in his fourth season with the Tar Heels.…

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DBAP/ DURHAM—I don't know how I managed to write yesterday's ultra-long post without stating the obvious about these meaningless end-of-season games: All the Bulls really need to be concerned about from here on out is keeping everyone healthy.

Perhaps there was some subconscious superstition (can something be both sub- and super- at the same time?)…

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UNC hardly got embarrassed in its uphill battle against LSU in Saturday night’s Chick-Fil-A Kick Off Classic in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome.

No, missing 13 players — most of them regular starters — with six ineligible and the other seven held out as a precautionary measure in case they might be, the No. 18 Tar Heels had two shots from the six-yard line in the closing seconds before finally succumbing 30-24 in the season opener for both teams.…

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The Tennessee Smokies scored seven runs over the final two innings, taking a 10-5 win over the Carolina Mudcats at Five County Stadium to even their season-ending four-game series at one win apiece.

Russ Canzler led the Smokies, who won both halves in the Southern League’s North Division, with five RBI on three hits including a pair of doubles.…

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WALLACE WADE STADIUM/ DURHAM Duke opens its 2010 season with a lot of questions as David Cutcliffe begins his third season at the helm.

How will redshirt freshman Sean Renfree perform as he replaces the Blue Devils’ all-time passing leader Thaddeus Lewis under center?

How will the Blue Devils replace their five best defensive players from last season?

And how much difference will the mass of another Cutcliffe recruiting class make on the Blue Devils’ overall depth?

The Blue Devils will open tonight against Division I-FCS power Elon — ranked No 7 in the preseason FCS coaches’ poll — taking on the Phoenix for the first time since 1932.…

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DBAP/ DURHAM—With last night's 6-4 loss to the Gwinnett Braves, the Durham Bulls have lost seven of their last 10 games. It's sort of easy to ignore it, because the Bulls have had record-setting success this season and the recent losses have had no impact on their post-season aspirations; it's been a foregone conclusion, really, since July.…

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WAKEMED SOCCER PARK / CARY—The launch of Labor Day weekend put a dent in the crowd that made it out to WakeMed Soccer Park for the Carolina RailHawks’ Friday night match against Crystal Palace Baltimore. The announced attendance of 1,605 was the second lowest home draw this season—only the Aug. 18 midweek match against Miami was smaller.…

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