Only Carolina meeting and beating Duke twice in the tournament next month will keep the Blue Devils from officially claiming the Cup.

Duke currently leads the all-sports competition between the old rivals, 26-21, after last weekend's flurry of activity in six sports. One outstanding point remains in this weekend's ACC rowing meet at Clemson.

Since 24.5 points are required to win, Duke has in all probability retired the Cup for the next school year. UNC has only a very long shot at getting back into the race.

Carolina must somehow beat the Blue Devils twice in the double-elimination ACC baseball tournament, May 15-20, in Rock Hill, S.C.

If that were to occur, the Heels would win three of the five baseball games played against Duke this season and "win back" the 3 baseball points Duke claimed by taking the best-of-three game series last weekend in Chapel Hill.

Also last weekend in Orlando, Fla., Duke won 3 Carlyle Cup points by sweeping the ACC Championship in women's golf. Carolina won 3 points by finishing one stroke higher than Duke in the ACC men's golf championships and 1 point by dominating the ACC track & field championships.

Thus, the Cup came down to the baseball series at Boshamer Stadium. The Tar Heels won Friday night, 10-7, but dropped Saturday night's game, 9-7, and then lost the deciding contest Sunday, 4-0.

Since Carolina and Duke will both finish in the second division of the ACC baseball standings, the chances of them winning their first games of the tournament, advancing to the winners' bracket and eventually playing again are slim, indeed.

Should it happen and UNC reclaims the 3 points in baseball, the Tar Heels would win the Carlyle Cup either outright (25-23) if they captured the rowing point or in a tiebreaker if Duke won rowing and the score wound up 24-24.

The first tiebreaker is head-to-head games or matches in the regular season, and Carolina would have a slight edge.

Following are the Carlyle Cup points won to date.

DUKE (26) - Cross-country (1), fencing (1), men's basketball (3), women's basketball (3), men's lacrosse (3), women's lacrosse (3), men's tennis (3), women's tennis (3), women's golf (3), baseball (3).

UNC (21) - Field hockey (3), men's soccer (3), women's soccer (3), volleyball (3), football (3), wrestling (1), swimming (1), men's golf (3), track (1).

Outstanding, rowing (1).

The Carlyle Cup, a sterling silver an enamel urn created and sponsored by Carlyle & Co. jewelers, will be presented to the winning school and retained during the next year's competition.