Franklin Barreto and Jaff Decker had six of the Nashville Sounds’ 14 hits in an 8-3 win over the Round Rock Express Saturday night at Dell Diamond.

One night after the duo combined to go 7-for-9 at the plate, they went 6-for-9 with four runs scored and three driven in. The tandem at the top of the lineup fired up a first inning rally in which the Sounds (2-1) went on to score four runs to set the tone.

Barreto was hit by a Dillon Gee pitch, and Decker doubled to the opposite field to put runners in scoring position for Renato Nunez. The Sounds third baseman singled through the left side to start the scoring. Chris Parmelee singled in another run, Chad Pinder singled, and Bruce Maxwell drew a walk as the first six Nashville hitters reached safely.

Barreto and Decker were at it again in the second when they collected back-to-back singles to spark another rally. Nuñez took advantage again with a sacrifice fly to give the Sounds an early 5-0 lead after two innings.

Matt Olson started the third with a single to the left side, and three batters later Barreto clubbed a two-run homer to right-center to give Nashville a 7-0 lead.

Starter Cesar Valdez had plenty of run support to go after the Round Rock (1-2) lineup. The right-hander allowed single runs in the third and fourth innings, but otherwise worked through five relatively easy frames to earn the win.

With a 7-2 lead to start the fifth, Matt McBride poked a one-out single to right field. Kenny Wilson was retired for the second out of the inning, but Barreto and Decker came through with back-to-back two-out hits to give Nashville another run.

Valdez turned the game over to reliever Tyler Sturdevant who allowed a run in the sixth, but then tossed a scoreless seventh. Tucker Healy worked the eighth and ninth and kept the Express off the board.

Chad Pinder had a three-hit game and has hit safely in every game this year. The Sounds have scored 16 runs on 32 hits over the last two games.

Game four of the five-game series is scheduled for Sunday afternoon in Round Rock. Right-hander Paul Blackburn starts for the Sounds against right-hander Nick Martinez for the Express. First pitch is slated for 1:05 p.m.

The 2017 season is the Sounds’ 40th in franchise history and their third as the Oakland Athletics’ top affiliate. Opening Day is scheduled for Tuesday, April 11 as the Sounds host the Oklahoma City Dodgers at 6:35 p.m. at First Tennessee Park. Season ticket memberships are available now by calling (615) 690-4487 or by visiting www.nashvillesounds.com.

CMS Tennis defeated Westwood – Girls won 7 to 0; Boys won 5 to 3.
CHS Softball lost to Baylor – 5 to 3
CCMS Softball beat Westwood – 11 to 0
CCMS Soccer lost to Mt. Juliet – 10 to 0
WMS Soccer defeated Whitworth-Buchanan – 9 to 0
CCMS Soccer lost to Avery Trace – 7 to 0
WMS Soccer lost to Algood – 3 to 0

For the second night in a row, the Coffee County Central High School softball team welcomed a defending state champion to Terry Floyd Field on Friday night.  Featuring the support of a large group of Special Needs Kids, the Lady Raiders welcomed Baylor to Terry Floyd Field in a game you heard here on Thunder Radio.  After taking an early lead, the Lady Raiders ended up falling by a final score of 5 to 3 in 9 innings.

Coffee County got on the board first in the 1^st inning as Haley Hinshaw doubled home Ashley Evans.  Baylor bounced back to take a 3 to 1 lead with single runs in the 3^rd, 4^th and 6^th innings and had the Lady Raiders down to their final out in the 7^th.  Coffee County got a 2 out solo home run from Tori Bell, a single from Hinshaw and an RBI double from Sarah West to tie the game and send it to extra innings.  Baylor strung together 4 hits in the 9^th to claim the win.

Bell finished with 2 hits and an RBI as she was named the Crazy Daisies player of the game.  Katie Rutledge finished the game with 3 singles and Hinshaw finished with a pair of hits and a run scored.

Coffee County is back in action on Sunday afternoon when they play host to Tullahoma at Terry Floyd Field.  Thunder Radio will be on hand to bring you the broadcast as first pitch is set for 3:30 PM.

Download the broadcast at: http://www.thunder1320.com/downloads/

 

Westwood and Coffee County Middle also slugged it out on the softball diamond on Friday night as the Lady Rockets visited Lady Raider Field at CCMS.  Both teams, who are enjoying winning seasons, feature coaches who played softball together at Coffee County Central High School in the 1990’s under legendary coach Jeff Breeden.   The Lady Raiders banged out 11 hits to drop their Manchester neighbors 11 to 0.

Keri Munn had the best game of her season as she pitched a complete game 2 hitter to get the win for Coffee County.  At the plate, Munn was 4 for 4 with 3 RBI to lead the Lady Raider hitting attack.  Kiya Ferrell had a pair of hits and scored 3 times for Coffee County.  Westwood got singles from Madison Wakefield and Hallie Wimberley for their only hits of the game.  The loss breaks a 5 game winning streak for Westwood as they fall to 6 to 2 on the year.  The win for Coffee County improves their record to 8 and 2 on the year.

Coffee County returns to the diamond on Monday when they play travel to Winchester to take on South Franklin.  That game begins at 5 PM.  Westwood will play host to Cannon County on Monday in a 4:30 PM game at Lady Rocket Field.

Cross town rivals Westwood and Coffee County Middle battled it out on the tennis courts on Friday at Fred Deadman Park.  Westwood, in its 3^rd year to have a program, took on a Coffee County team in its 2^nd season.

In boys’ play, the Red Raiders swept the Rockets 7 to 0.  Coffee County got singles wins from Jayden Talley, Luke Irwin, Landon Booth, Tyler Rigney and Loren Hansen.  The doubles teams of Talley/Irwin and Booth/Rigney picked up doubles wins for the Red Raiders.

In girls’ play, Coffee County stopped Westwood 5 to 3.  Coffee County got singles wins from Jayda Wright, Marley Perry, Anna Amado, Lucy Riddle and Wren Lawson.  Westwood got a singles win from Lauren Perry and swept the doubles matches as the team of Perry & Patricia Barrera plus the team of Luz Maria Basurto & Callie Roper defeated Coffee County.

Westwood returns to the court on Monday when they take on Shelbyville at home at 4 PM.  Coffee County will host Warren County on Tuesday at home in a match that will also begin at 4.

Ivan Nova did not return for days like this — 37 degrees, with snow falling as he threw his first pitch — but the Pirates brought back the veteran right-hander for performances like this. Supported by back-to-back homers in the fifth and a few key defensive plays, Nova tossed six strong innings and led the Bucs to a 5-4 win over the Braves on Friday at their home opener at PNC Park.

Nova looked like the resurgent starter who pitched for Pittsburgh down the stretch last season: efficient, in command and confident in the defense behind him. He limited Atlanta to six hits without a walk and struck out four, getting through six innings on 93 pitches. The only run he allowed was unearned, as it came after Gregory Polanco dropped a fly ball in left field.

“If you ask me who’s a pro in this clubhouse, it’s Ivan Nova,” third baseman David Freese said. “He showed it today.”
The Braves pulled within one by putting up three runs in the eighth, two of them on a single to center by Brandon Phillips, but the Pirates’ defense made sure the rally stopped there.
Braves starter Mike Foltynewicz limited the Pirates to one run after they put runners at the corners with one out in the third inning, but the young hurler exited after issuing consecutive two-out walks to load the bases in the fourth. Eric O’Flaherty ended that threat by getting Polanco to fly out to center field.
“When [O’Flaherty] got Polanco to fly out with the bases loaded, I thought, ‘We’re going to win the game,'” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “That was exactly my thought. Then we gave up the two homers. You want to keep the game in check there, and we couldn’t do that. But we came back and had another couple chances.”

Nova ran into trouble in the fourth inning. Freddie Freeman and Matt Kemp singled, and Nick Markakis was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. Phillips got ahead of Nova, three balls and no strikes, but Nova battled back into the count. Phillips rolled over the sixth pitch of the at-bat, a 93.1-mph sinker, and Jordy Mercer scooped it up, stepped on second and fired to first baseman Josh Bell for the inning-ending double play.
“Don’t panic. Just stay aggressive. Make pitches,” Nova said. “Don’t be afraid to work behind in the count. Make a quality pitch and get the out.”

That effort was outdone when Josh Harrison and Mercer thwarted the Braves’ eighth-inning rally with another double play. With Phillips on first, Adonis Garcia smashed a grounder that nicked Daniel Hudson. Harrison made a sensational stop and flipped the ball to Mercer, who quickly spun and connected with first baseman John Jaso to complete the 4-6-3 double play.
“It gets momentum on our side. It’s a big play in the game, obviously,” Mercer said. “You can feel the momentum shift right there.”

The Braves cut the Pirates’ lead in half in the fifth inning, capitalizing on Polanco’s error, but the Bucs immediately pushed back with a pair of homers. The most glaring issue facing Pittsburgh’s lineup this season, particularly without Jung Ho Kang, is a lack of power. But Freese and Cervelli showed plenty of it against right-hander Josh Collmenter. Freese launched a 405-foot solo shot into the Braves’ bullpen with an exit velocity of 100 mph, according to Statcast™. Cervelli answered with a 391-foot blast into the left-field seats, matching his 2016 home run total (one) and giving Pittsburgh a three-run lead.

The Pirates won their fourth straight home opener, having beaten the Cubs in 2014, the Tigers in ’15 and the Cardinals last year. The last time the Bucs secured four straight home-opening victories was 1960-63; the fourth win in that stretch was also against the Braves, who were then based in Milwaukee.

Kemp extended his early-season success with his third straight multihit game, but immediately after recording a single in the sixth inning, he exited with a tight right hamstring that worsened when he made a diving catch to rob Harrison of a hit in the fifth inning. Kemp is 8-for-16 with four doubles and two home runs through four games. There’s a chance he’ll play on Saturday.

Freese left the game after eight innings due to soreness around his collarbone. He was hit by Dansby Swanson’s hard-hopping grounder to lead off the eighth inning but stayed in to finish the frame. Freese said he is sore but otherwise “all right.” He will be evaluated on Saturday.
“I think I would have ducked if I had enough time,” Freese said. “It was kind of a topspin shot, just hopped up. Tried to get a glove on it, just didn’t have time.”
R.A. Dickey will make his Braves debut when this three-game series against the Pirates resumes on Saturday at 6:05 p.m. CT. This will be the knuckleballer’s first appearance for a National League team since he won the Cy Young with the Mets in 2012.