FIU's women's golf team is tied for ninth place after the opening round at the Bettie Lou Evans Fall Classic, hosted by the University of Kentucky on Friday in Lexington.

For a second consecutive week, the Golden Panthers faced cool and rainy weather, yet despite the inclement weather, FIU carded a season-best 311 team total, which was 13 strokes behind leader Florida State, currently ranked No. 9 nationally.

FIU junior Paula Hurtado fired a 2-over-par 74, over the 6,041-yard University Club of Kentucky, which is tied for fifth place overall. Hurtado is four strokes behind first-round leader Macarena Silva from Florida State.

• UM women in top five: Juniors Christina Hirano, Maria Ronderos and Jennifer Hirano each shot 5-over 77s to lead the Hurricanes on Day 1 of the Bettie Lou Evans Fall Invitational.

Florida State (298) leads the event, followed by UCF (301) and Coastal Carolina (301), which are tied for second. Texas State (302) and Chattanooga (303) round out the top five. Miami shot 313 leaving it 10 strokes out of the top five.

SOCCER

• Nova men 1, West Florida 0: A goal headed in by Nate Dunbar in the 77th minute proved to be the difference at the NSU Soccer Complex. With the win, NSU moves to 5-4-0 overall. West Florida falls to 4-3-1.

``It was a superb result against an excellent team,'' coach Giuseppe DePalo said. ``West Florida has been the benchmark team. To get that result says a lot. Once again, if you work hard and come together for 90 minutes, the results are possible.''

• West Florida women 2, Barry 0: Emily Pratt, making her first start in goal for the Bucs (2-6-0), had seven saves. Courtney Jones stopped two shots for the Argos.

BASEBALL

• Diamantes sign player: The Miami Diamantes signed Miami's Marcus Salmon, 21.

He is the first player signed by the Diamantes of the Florida Winter Baseball League.

Salmon was chosen in the 48th round of Major League Baseball's Amateur Draft in 2008 by the Milwaukee Brewers. The right-handed pitcher played two seasons with Milwaukee before being released.

TENNIS

• FAU women win in singles: The Owls picked up four singles' wins in the first day of season-opening Florida Gulf Coast Fall Classic in Fort Myers.

Sophomore Justine Humair earned a decisive straight-set win in Group play. She dropped only three games in knocking off Priscillia Villemond of Florida Gulf Coast University.

Other winners: Cassie Bergeson, Erika Mrazkova and Virginia Augustin.

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