No. 2 Pirates outlast No. 3 West Florida, head into NCAA Championship match

When Dan Regan's final point in his marathon No. 3 singles match finished, the No. 2-ranked Armstrong men's tennis team put the cap on a four-plus hour gruelling ordeal to earn the program's fourth berth into the NCAA DII Men's Tennis National Championship match. After the Pirates had a slim 2-1 lead after doubles, the two teams each took three first sets in singles play.

Armstrong won two matches in straight sets - from top-ranked Georgi Rumenov and Pablo Gor - but West Florida won in straight sets at No. 5, leaving three other singles matches out on the court and all in third sets.

We'll have video of the clinching point from Regan later, but now we look ahead briefly to the championship match tomorrow at 9 a.m. as Armstrong faces No. 1-ranked Barry - 5-0 winners over Concordia (NY) - for the title. In 2009, the two teams met in Sanlando Park and it was a match for the ages with Rafael Array winning a third-setter in a match that lasted exactly five hours.

Earlier this season, the two teams met in Miami Shores, Fla., and Barry won that meeting 5-4. So all indications are that tomorrow's match will be about as even as you can get, especially between No. 1 and No. 2.

Also want to send along congratulations to the Armstrong softball team, who knocked off Wingate, 2-1, in the NCAA Southeast Regional in Savannah. They will take on Columbus State at 11 a.m. on Saturday - 8 am here in Arizona ! - in a winner's bracket matchup.