East Carolina signee Taylor Apple of Western Alamance pitched a 1-hitter with two walks and 14 strikeouts in a 2-0 softball win at South Johnston on Thursday night to close out the NCHSAA 3-A East regional series. Apple had a double and home run at the plate. Senior captain Hollyn Champagne had the lone hit for the Trojans, who finished 24-3. … Cade Kuehler (8-0) pitched seven innings with nine strikeouts as Campbell (42-13) defeated Gardner-Webb, 5-0, to open play in the Big South Conference baseball tournament in High Point on Thursday. Jarrod Belbin hit his 19th home run of the season for the Camels. … Wake Forest defeated Pitt, 10-2; UNC downed Virginia, 10-2, and Miami topped N.C. State, 4-2, in the ACC baseball tournament at Durham Bulls Athletic Park on Thursday. Wake will meet Miami and UNC will take on today’s Boston College-Clemson winner (ACC Network, 11 a.m.) in the semifinals on Saturday. … East Carolina meets Central Florida in an elimination game in the American Athletic Conference tournament in Clearwater today (ESPN+, 1 p.m.). … Host Boston closed within 3-2 of Miami in the Eastern Conference finals of the NBA playoffs with a 110-97 win Thursday night as Jayson Tatum (Duke) had 21 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists. … Harry Hall has the lead in the PGA Tour event in Fort Worth after shooting an 8-under par 62 on Thursday (Golf Channel, 4 p.m.).