Triangle Sports Roundup: CPL baseball, Duke in the WNBA, RailHawks fans speak out

Peter Koutroumpis, Triangle Sports Network

CPL: Holly Springs drops 4-2 decision to Fayetteville

FAYETTEVILL, N.C. – Fresh off an inspiring 5-2 win over Wilmington on Thursday, the Holly Springs Salamanders continued to struggle playing away from home, losing 4-2 to the Fayettville SwampDogs at J.P. Riddle Stadium on Friday.

Josh Morgan (0-2 – 3 1/3 IP, 3 R, 2 SO) absorbed the loss on the mound for Holly Springs (4-5) as the SwampDogs (5-4) built up a 3-1 lead in the bottom of their half of the fourth that was enough to keep the Salamanders at a distance for the remainder of the game.

Jon Rosoff and Logan Porter each went 1-for-3 at the plate and scored the Salamanders’ lone runs of the game with RBI’s from Brian Miller (2-4, 1 RBI) and Collin Woody (0-3, 1 RBI).

Holly Springs returns home to host the High Point-Thomasville HiToms on Saturday.

Notes: Pitcher Sam Mersing from Pittsburgh made his debut with Holly Springs and threw six strikeouts with one hit against while facing 13 batters in 3 2/3 innings of work.

WNBA: Former Duke WBB stars Gray, Williams make debut

UNCASVILLE, CONN. – Former Duke Blue Devils women’s basketball standouts Chelsea Gray and Elizabeth Williams made their rookie starts in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) with the Connecticut Sun at Mohegan Sun Arena on Friday.

The Sun fell short, losing 73-68 to the Washington Mystics, led by former UConn star center Stephanie Dolson (18 points, 12 rebounds) and former North Carolina Tar Heels standout guard Ivory Latta (15 points, 5 assists).

From the backcourt, Gray finished the game by scoring four points, two rebounds, and an assist in just under 10 minutes of playing time.

Up front, Williams posted similar results, finishing with five points, five rebounds and one assist in just over 10 minutes of playing time.

It was the first time the two played alongside one another since the 2013-2014 season.

NASL: RailHawks supporter group wants NASL to assume ownership of team

CARY, N.C. – In an open letter to North American Soccer League (NASL) commissioner Bill Peterson, the Triangle Soccer Fanatics (TSF), an independent Carolina RailHawks supporters group, called on the league to revoke current majority owner Traffic Sports USA’s stake and control of the team.

The request came as a result of the recent FIFA racketeering conspiracy and corruption scandal that included the indictment of current Traffic Sports USA, Inc. president Aaron Davidson.

The group’s intention for communicating with the NASL was for the league to “assume full-control of the team on an interim basis while new, preferably local ownership is found.”

“Triangle Soccer Fanatics believes it is no longer in the best interest of the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill-Cary community to be affiliated in any way with an ownership group that has pleaded guilty to the criminal offense of wire fraud conspiracy and has been implicated in broad ranging indictments for racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies, among other offenses,” the letter stated per the organization’s president Jarrett Campbell.

“We are looking for leadership from the League to separate the Carolina RailHawks from this scandal and those that have brought it upon our community.  League ownership of the Carolina RailHawks is not our goal or long-term vision for professional soccer in RDU.  However, we believe it is a necessary and immediate step that should be taken to put us on a path to the highest level of both professional soccer and integrity that the Triangle community deserves.”

Other than suspending Davidson from his position as Chair of the NASL Board of Governors, no further statements or actions have come from the league since news of the investigation was announced by the U.S. Department of Justice on May 27th.

Carolina hosts Minnesota United FC at WakeMed Soccer Park on Saturday.