The Coffee County Central High School volleyball team opens up preseason competition on Wednesday when they travel to Eagleville for a preseason scrimmage tournament. Coach Andrew Taylor and the Lady Raiders will be looking to replace several key starters from last season as they begin work on setting their lineup.
Coffee County will take on Eagleville at 9 AM, Loretto at 10:30 and Grundy County at noon. The Lady Raiders return to Eagleville on Thursday for games which will be determined by their performance on Wednesday. After Thursday’s matches, all the teams will be seeded into brackets based on the previous two days performances and play out a double elimination tournament on Friday. The matches will be held at Eagleville High School. Coffee County opens the season in McMinnville on August 9th when they take on Warren County and Van Buren County in a 4:30 PM doubleheader at Warren County High School.

It was a night when both teams’ bullpens had spells of not getting the job done. But the messy battle of relievers was ultimately claimed by the Braves with a 5-4 victory over the Reds in 11 innings, with Ender Inciarte’s sacrifice fly being the difference.

In the top of the 11th, Nick Markakis hit a leadoff single against Tony Cingrani, who worked a scoreless 10th for Cincinnati. Blake Wood took over and allowed Jeff Francoeur’s single that put runners on the corners. Inciarte hit a fly ball to center field and Markakis scored the go-ahead run — just the third inherited runner to cross the plate on Wood this season. Francoeur was thrown out by Billy Hamilton for the double play trying to advance to second base, but the damage was already done.
Flamethrowing right-hander Mauricio Cabrera earned the win when he pitched the final 1 2/3 innings for Atlanta with one infield hit in the 11th that left the tying run stranded.
“[Cabrera] just keep pitching those stressful innings, and it doesn’t bother him a bit,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “The expression never changes. He just keeps throwing, he keeps pitching. I’ve been very impressed with his makeup, his mound presence, the way he goes about it, and he’s going to get better and better.”
Braves closer Jim Johnson could not lock down a 4-2 advantage in the bottom of the ninth, as the Reds scored twice. Eugenio Suarez’s leadoff single and a bloop double by Ramon Cabrera led to one run when pinch-hitter Tucker Barnhart hit an RBI groundout to shortstop. The tying run followed, on Zack Cozart’s RBI single down the left-field line, before he was thrown out trying for a double. Hamilton followed with an infield single but was caught stealing with Joey Votto batting to send the game into extras.
It was a 2-2 game when the Reds bullpen’s season-high scoreless streak of 13 innings was snapped by Gordon Beckham’s two-run home run in the seventh off of Michael Lorenzen. It was the first homer allowed by Cincinnati’s bullpen since July 4, ending its longest homerless streak of the season but adding to its Major League lead with 67 home runs allowed.
The Braves were in line to get starter Tyrell Jenkins his first career win, but Johnson couldn’t hold it down in the ninth and gave up the tying runs. It was Johnson’s third blown save in five opportunities.
Following a Votto two-out walk against Jenkins in the first inning, Bruce hit a 3-1 pitch that cleared the fence in left-center field for a two-run homer and a 2-0 Reds lead. It was Bruce’s 19th homer of the season, a welcomed one for the 2016 All-Star, who came in batting .174 in July — including 2-for-11 in his previous four games. Bruce finished the rest of the night hitless, however, and grounded into two double plays.
Reds starter Cody Reed lost his lead in the top of the second when two defensive miscues opened the door for Atlanta. Inciarte reached on an error by Suarez, putting runners on first and second. A four-pitch Reed walk to Anthony Recker loaded the bases for Erick Aybar, who lined a comebacker off of the pitcher’s glove and into right field for an RBI single. Bruce charged the ball but dropped the barehand attempt to grab off the grass for an error that let a second run score.
Beckham ended an 0-for-16 drought with a single to lead off the game. He went on to hit a two-run go-ahead homer in the seventh, which came off the bat at 96 mph and traveled 396 feet, according to Statcast™. Beckham’s last hit, which came on July 9, was also a homer. Since returning from the disabled list on July 7, Beckham is hitting .200 with 10 strikeouts in 30 at-bats.
The Braves look to take the series in a 11:35 a.m. CT rubber match against the Reds on Wednesday. Lucas Harrell takes the mound, eyeing a rebound from a 3 2/3-inning, five-run outing against the Rockies on Friday. Harrell was 2-0 with a 1.32 ERA in two starts before the All-Star break.

Despite getting home runs from Bryan Anderson, Bruce Maxwell, Chad Pinder and Joey Wendle, The Nashville Sounds were swept in Tuesday night’s doubleheader at Isotope Park.
Albuquerque went into the bottom of the sixth inning of game one trailing 5-4. After a lead-off single from Jordan Patterson, Tucker Healy replaced Sounds starter Brandon Mann. Healy then hit the first batter he faced in Alex Castellanos to put the go-ahead run on base. David Dahl then pinch hit for Tim Smalling and roped a two-run triple to left to put the Isotopes up 6-5. Mike Tauchman then singled to left to score Dahl to add the insurance run to put Albuquerque up 7-5.
The Isotopes took an early 4-0 lead after scoring two in each the first and second innings. Tom Murphy scored two on a two-run double in the first to put the Isotopes up 2-0. Castellano lead-off the second with a solo home run to left and later in the inning Tauchman hit a RBI double to put the ‘Topes up 4-0.
In his first at bat since returning to Nashville, Sounds catcher Bryan Anderson launched a solo home run to right field to put the Sounds on the board as they trailed 4-1 after three.
With the bases loaded in the fourth, Matt Olson sent a sacrifice fly to right field to score Max Muncy to cut the ‘Topes lead in half. Colin Walsh then followed with an RBI single to right scoring Renato Nunez to bring the Sounds within a run.
Joey Wendle tripled to right and scored Muncy to tie the game at 4-4 in the top of the sixth. The Sounds were not done as Wendle then scored on a wild pitch with Olson batting to put the Sounds on top 6-5.
After the Isotopes rally in the bottom of the sixth, Albuquerque closer Simon Castro struck out the side in the top of the seventh to give the Isotopes a 7-5 win in game one.
Albuquerque then wasted little time jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning of game two. The Isotopes scored both of their runs in the first on back-to-back run scoring fielders choices from Ben Paulsen and Dustin Garneau.
Wendle then answered with a solo home run in the top of the sixth to narrow the deficit. The home run was Wendle’s 10th of the season.
The Isotopes then scored runs in the second, fourth and fifth innings to take a 5-1lead heading into the top of the sixth inning.
Chad Pinder led off the sixth with his 13th home run of the season to make the score 5-2 after six.
Pacific Coast League Player of the Week Bruce Maxwell came to the plate in the top of the seventh and launched a solo home run to bring the Sounds to within two as they trailed 5-3. Maxwell’s 10th home run of the season was his fifth of the current road trip. Unfortunately for the Sounds, Maxwell’s late homer did not spark a rally and the Sounds were swept in Tuesday night’s twin bill.
The series continues Wednesday with game three of the four-game set at Isotopes Park. The Sounds (52-45) will send left-hander Ross Detwiler (0-0, 0.00) and the Isotopes (43-53) will counter with Jeff Hoffman (4-7, 4.03). First pitch is scheduled for 8:05 p.m. CST.
The 2016 season is the Sounds’ 19th year in the Pacific Coast League and their second as the Oakland Athletics’ top affiliate. Season ticket memberships are available now by calling (615) 690-4487 or by visiting www.nashvillesounds.com.