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The athletes who play in the Miracle League of The Triangle had special visitors on May 2 when  all 28 members of the Duke University baseball team spent their Saturday afternoon serving as "buddies" who helped nearly 100 special needs children participate in baseball games at Adams Elementary School.
 
Click here to see photos from the event.
 
The Miracle League is a non-profit organization that allows special needs children to play America’s favorite pastime – baseball. The children play on a special field where they get the opportunity to bat off a tee, round the bases and play in the field.
 
The Miracle League was started in 1997 by the Rockdale Youth Baseball Association and has since expanded across the country. The Miracle League of The Triangle had its opening day on Sept. 16, 2006, and has grown to include 200 children, 500 volunteers and 18 teams.

Day 2 of the US Youth Soccer National League play, as promised, provided plenty of tight competition and outstanding play on Friday, and Triangle soccer fans have Saturday and Sunday to get out and witness the action in person. Games will take place at 8 a.m. (U15), 10 a.m. (U16) and noon (U17) Saturday at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary. Sunday’s action will be split between WakeMed Soccer Park and Duke University: U15 at 8 a.m. at WakeMed, U16 at 8 a.m. at Duke and U17 at 10 a.m. at WakeMed.
The National League, with teams from around the nation, is starting its second season this weekend in conjuction with the NCAA Division I Women’s College Cup, also being played at WakeMed. Not a tournament but a weekend league for players who aspire to play on college, national and pro teams, the National League showcases some of the top U15, U16 and U17 girls teams in the nation with six weekends of competition, with dates linked to the NCAA men’s and women’s championship weekends.
Here’s a look at how the action went on Friday, courtesy of US Youth Soccer representative Shannon Holtz:

Under-15 Girls
- Dallas Texans 94 Red Dallas (NTX) beat the 2008 US Youth Soccer national champion San Juan Spirits 94 Blue 1-0. Amanda Elertson scored the winning goal in the 76th minute.
- The North Texas D’Feeters 94 and Wall Wombats (NJ) tied 1-1. An own goal gave the D’Feeters the lead in the eighth. The Wombats’ Loren Rilley tied the match in the 67th minute.
- FC Pennsylvania Strikers (EPA) and the Michigan Hawks 94 Black tied 1-1. Dana Rosey put the Strikers up in the 14th minute, but in the second half the Hawks’ Ashley Garr (50:00) scored to tie.
- The San Diego Surf 93-94 White (CA-S) and NSA Fury (IL) ended in a 0-0 tie. Each team entered Saturday’s third day of play with two ties.

Under-16 Girls
- After eight goals, Massachusetts’ Scorpions Elite and Cleveland FC (OH-N) ended up tied 4-4. In the first half, Scorpions were up 2-0 with goals by Jessica Clinton (13:00) and Melissa Gavin (25:00). Six additional goals were made in the second half. MacKenzie Taylor scored for Cleveland in the 51st. For the Scorpions, Josette Larochelle scored in the 55th and Megan Giesen (Cleveland) in the 58th. Down by two, Cleveland rallied, with Kelsey Smigel scoring in the 79th and then in the final seconds sneaking in a second goal. At the end of Day 2, Smigel leads the Under-16 Girls in scoring.
- Slammers FC (CA-S) posted a 4-1 win over the reigning US Youth Soccer national champions, the Dallas Texans 93 Red Dallas. The Slammers led by two at halftime with the help of Emily Dillion (8:00) and Francesca Coxe (25:00). Dillion scored again in the 62nd. The Texans’ Clarissa Wedemeyer scored in the 63rd. Tessa Andujar scored in the 74th for the Slammers’ fourth goal.
- Eclipse Select 92-93 (IL) won 3-0 over Team Boca 92-93. Georgiana Wagemann scored in the 12th and 60th minutes. Muriella Battaglia scored in the 28th.
- So Cal Blues-Dodge (CA-S) won its second game of the season 3-1 over the Montclair United Thunderbolts (NJ) to take an early lead in the standings. So Cal’s Erica Mazeau scored in the 15th. Kimberly Marshall (26:00) and Emily Goldstein (40:00) each scored in the first half. Hana Tomozawa scored for the Thunderbolts in the 31st, but Montclair wasn’t able to capitalize in the second half.

Under-17 Girls
- The Challenge 92 (STX) won 5-3 over the BVSC Stars Mallorca 91-92 (KS). Meghan Gibbons (13:00), Natalie Johnson (16:00) and Addie Eggleston (23:00) helped the Challenge take a 3-2 lead at the end of the first half. Mandy Laddish (6:00) and Ashley Washburn (29:00) scored for the Stars. The Challenge’s Sara Ellis increased the lead with a goal in the 65th. Frances Silva (80:00) brought the Stars to a goal down, but in the final minutes Rebecca Twining (90:00) scored to secure the victory.
- Vardar (MI) and Eclipse Select 91-92 (IL) tied 1-1. Eclipse scored early, and Vardar's Karly Linton tied the match in the 76th.
- Dallas Texans Red 92 Dallas (NTX) won their first match of the season 2-1 over the McLean MPS Dragons (VA). The Texans won 2:1 after goals by Shelby Redman (18:00) and Kristen Barg (88:00). Christy Hassel scored for the Dragons in the 38th.
- Ela Elite (IL) and Laguna Hills Eclipse Black (CA-S) tied 1-1. The competition was well matched, and neither team scored until the 76th minute, when Amanda Tafoya put one away for Laguna. In the final seconds, Eclipse tied with Jannell Flaws’ goal in the 92nd.

SCHEDULE
SATURDAY, DEC. 6
At WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary
Under 15
8:00 a.m., Dallas Texans 94 Red Dallas (NTX) v Wall Wombats (NJ), Field 7
8:00 a.m., D'Feeters 94 (NTX) v FC Pennsylvania Strikers (EPA), Field 4
8:00 a.m., Michigan Hawks 94-Black (MI) v San Diego Surf 93-94 White (CAS), Field 5
8:00 a.m., NSA Fury (IL) v San Juan Spirits 94 Blue (CAN), Field 6
Under-16 Girls
10 a.m., So Cal Blues-Dodge (CAS) v Dallas Texans 93 Red Dallas (NTX), Field 7
10 a.m., Cleveland FC (OHN) v Montclair United Thunderbolts (NJ), Field 4
10 a.m., Team Boca 92/93 (FL) v Scorpions Elite (MA), Field 5
10 a.m., Slammers FC (CAS) v Eclipse Select 92-93 (IL), Field 6
Under-17 Girls
noon, Eclipse Select 91-92 (IL) v Laguna Hills Eclipse Black (CAS), Field 6
noon, Dallas Texans Red 92 Dallas (NTX) v Vardar (MI), Field 7
2 p.m., BVSC Stars Mallorca 91/92 (KS) v McLean MPS Dragons (VA), Field 6
2 p.m., Ela Elite (IL) v Challenge 92 (STX), Field 7

SUNDAY, DEC. 7
Under-15 Girls
At WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary
8 a.m., FC Pennsylvania Strikers (EPA) v Dallas Texans 94 Red Dallas (NTX), Field 5
8 a.m., San Diego Surf 93-94 White (CAS) v D'Feeters'94 (NTX), Field 6
8 a.m., San Juan Spirits 94 Blue (CAN) v Michigan Hawks 94-Black (MI), Field 4
8 a.m., Wall Wombats (NJ) v NSA Fury (IL), Field 7
Under-16 Girls
At Duke University, Durham
8 a.m., Dallas Texans 93 Red Dallas (NTX) v Cleveland FC (OHN), Field 1
8 a.m., Eclipse Select 92-93 (IL) v So Cal Blues-Dodge (CAS), Field 2
10 a.m., Montclair United Thunderbolts (NJ) v Team Boca 92/93 (FL), Field 1
10 a.m., Scorpions Elite (MA) v Slammers FC (CAS), Field 2
Under-17 Girls
At WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary
10 a.m., McLean MPS Dragons (VA) v Eclipse Select 91-92 (IL), Field 4
10 a.m., Challenge 92 (STX) v Dallas Texans Red 92 Dallas (NTX), Field 5
10 a.m., Laguna Hills Eclipse Black (CAS) v BVSC Stars Mallorca 91/92 (KS), Field 7
10 a.m., Vardar (MI) v Ela Elite (IL), Field 6

More information and complete schedules and scores can be found on the US Youth Soccer National League Web site.