Summer high school baseball got underway on Friday as the Red Raider baseball team split a pair of games in the Tullahoma tournament. In the opener, the varsity Raiders pounded out 10 hits in 5 innings to claim a 9 to 1 win over Warren County. In the nightcap, a team of freshmen and sophomore Raiders saw Tullahoma get a walk-off single to steal a 3 to 2 win from Coffee County.
Against Warren County, Jacob Duncan and Garrett Eldridge combined on a 2 hitter as each stayed under 40 pitches in the 5 inning win. Warren County got a pair of walks and scored on an error in the bottom of the first inning to notch their lone run.
Nathaniel Tate had a single, a home run and 3 RBI to lead the Raider hitting attack. Jacob Langham was 2 for 2 with a walk and 3 runs scored and Noah Anderson had a pair of hits and 2 stolen bases. Zach Morgan added a triple for Coffee County.
Saturday’s games in the tournament were rained out. The Raiders will be back in action on Monday and Tuesday nights. On Monday, the Raiders travel to Fayetteville for a doubleheader against Lincoln County. The Raiders will host their first home game on Tuesday as Lincoln County comes to Powers Field for a doubleheader. First pitch for both contests is set for 5 PM.

The Coffee County Lady Raider softball team will be conducting 3 days of camps June 6-7-8. The cost for the camp is $20.00 per day or $50.00 for all 3 days. Groups will split by grade level. The younger group will be going into grades 3-5. The older group will be going into grades 6-8. Emphasis will be on hitting/slapping, defense, pitching, and most of all, what it takes to be a Lady Raider on and off the field. Water will be provided, but each girl must have their own glove, helmet, and shoes. Some bats will be available, but not the smaller sizes. Camp times are 9AM to 12 Noon. Pre register by June 1 to receive a t shirt. Instructors will be current Lady Raiders and coaches and possibly a few surprises!! To pre-register, please text or email Jackie Graham Wilder or Coach Steve Wilder at 731-445-4897, 731-445-4896. Wilders@k12coffee.net or wilderj@k12coffee.net

Two home runs from Corey Seager and one each from Kiké Hernandez and Yasmani Grandal keyed a wave of offense that the Dodgers rode to a 12-6 win over the Braves and their third series sweep of the season.

Every starter from the Dodgers had a hit, including pitcher Scott Kazmir, who recorded the first multi-hit game of his career. Seager’s star shined brightest, as he went 3-for-5 with two homers and four RBIs. It was his second multi-homer game of the series and the third of his career. He went deep three times in Friday’s opener.
“Corey’s doing what Corey’s doing, but there were a lot of productive at-bats and you see Trayce [Thompson] on base three times,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Some big hits throughout. It was good to see us open up a little bit.”
Braves starting pitcher Matt Wisler had his worst start of the season, allowing a career-high eight earned runs, at least one in each of his four innings. That snapped the right-hander’s streak of six straight quality starts and raised his ERA from 3.16 to 3.98.
“It was a pretty bad effort from me today,” Wisler said. “I think I cost this team pretty bad. I got the first two outs quick and after that I fell behind. They really made me pay today.”
Two days after his first three-homer game, Seager went deep in the fourth and seventh innings and added an RBI single in the fifth. Seager’s five home runs in the series were two more than any Braves player other than Freddie Freeman has hit this season.
“Some more good pitches to handle. Put some good swings on them, just one of those days,” Seager said. “That’s what you look for, those moments that you want to enjoy when they’re happening and try to ride it as long as you can.”
Staked to a 2-0 lead, Wisler surrendered three consecutive hits during the Dodgers’ two-run first inning and allowed Hernandez to open the second with a homer. But the bottom truly fell out in the four-run third inning, when he issued a leadoff walk and then surrendered four consecutive hits, including Grandal’s three-run homer. The Braves right-hander produced a 2.91 ERA in the 15 starts he had made since last allowing as many as seven earned runs on Sept. 2.
“I didn’t have great command of my secondary stuff early in the game,” Wisler said. “I think I just took it from the bullpen and was thinking too much about it. That’s one thing I’ve got to work on this week, just stop thinking and just throw my offspeed pitches.”
Kazmir was chugging along through five innings, allowing just one hit since the Braves’ two-run first. But back-to-back hits in the sixth prompted a visit from the trainer, who then pulled Kazmir from the game because of cramping in his left quad.
The Braves gained their 2-0 first-inning lead when Nick Markakis began his three-hit performance with the first of his two RBI singles. Jeff Francoeur notched his second double when Atlanta dented the scoreboard again the sixth. But by the time Adonis Garcia concluded his two-hit game with an RBI double during a two-run eighth inning, the visitors had already positioned themselves to fall to 11-4 in games in which they’ve scored at least five runs.
“We finally scored some runs,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “We can’t get it together, where we get a little offense going and get one of those hot [all-around] games.”
Williams Perez will take the mound when Atlanta begins a three-game series in San Diego on Monday at 9:10 p.m. CT. The Braves have lost 10 straight and 12 of the past 13 games played at Petco Park.  Thunder Radio will bring you that broadcast on the Braves Radio Network beginning at 8 PM with the pregame show.

The Omaha Storm Chasers held off a late surge from the Nashville Sounds in a sloppy 6-4 win Sunday afternoon at Werner Park.

In a game that featured 12 walks, 3 hit batters and 2 errors, Omaha hung on to even the series after Nashville scored three runs in the ninth inning.

Trailing 6-1 going into the ninth, Renato Nunez started the rally with a solo homer to right-center field – his 11th blast of the season.

Ryon Healy followed with a double and was quickly brought in when Rangel Ravelo launched the second home run of the inning – this time a two-run shot to trim the deficit to 6-4.

That’s where it would end as Omaha hurler Andrew Edwards shut it down the rest of the way. He got Joey Wendle to bounce out to first and Matt McBride to pop out to end the game.

It was a slow moving game early as pitchers struggled to find any rhythm. Nashville’s Daniel Mengden labored through five innings and allowed two runs. The Sounds would end up using five pitchers while Omaha used four after starter Brian Flynn was finished after 2 2/3 innings.

It was 0-0 in the bottom of the fifth when Mengden clipped the jersey of Christian Colon with a pitch. Words were exchanged between the two before things settled. Moments later, Jorge Bonifacio hit a two-out, two-run homer to give the Storm Chasers a 2-0 lead.

Eduard Santos relieved Mengden after five and promptly issued three walks in the seventh. An RBI single by Ramon Torres and bases-clearing double by Colon busted the game open and gave Omaha a 6-1 lead.

The Sounds had a number of chances to put runs on the board but couldn’t cash in the opportunities. They left 13 runners on base and went 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position.

In his 11th start of the season between Double-A Midland and Nashville, Mengden suffered his first loss. Matt Murray picked up the win in relief for Omaha.

Game three of the four-game series is scheduled for Monday night at Werner Park. Left-hander Eric Surkamp (2-1, 3.91) starts for Nashville against right-hander Dillon Gee (0-0, 0.00) for Omaha. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m.

Clayton Kershaw, the National League Pitcher of the Month for May, started June by battling through six shutout innings and scoring a run as the Dodgers blanked the Braves, 4-0, on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium.

Kershaw allowed three hits, struck out a season-low four, walked one, was called for a balk and hit the opposing pitcher (emergency starter Bud Norris) with a pitch for the first time in his career. But the Dodgers’ ace also raised his record to 8-1, lowered his ERA to 1.46 and escaped three innings in which the Braves had runners in scoring position.
“I wasn’t great tonight,” said Kershaw. “Physically I felt fine, but the ball just wasn’t coming out. One of those days where it was a grind. Thankfully, I made it through six.”
The 27-pitch sixth inning started with Kershaw hitting Norris near the left shoulder.
“The ball was cutting all over the place. I just didn’t have a great feel,” said Kershaw. “I would have been mad, too. It doesn’t feel good, especially when not expecting it.”
Kershaw said the decision to lift him after 96 pitches, and season-low six innings, was manager Dave Roberts’.
“He obviously saw the sixth and it wasn’t very good, fatigue or not,” said Kershaw. “I’m sure he saw enough. I guess it’s something to take solace in, but six innings isn’t why we’re here, it’s not acceptable. I’ll take it for tonight but I don’t ever want to leave three innings for the bullpen.”
“After 25ish pitches in that inning. I felt six was good,” said Roberts. “The start prior [six days earlier in New York], 114 pitches, so that was good for him and it was good for our ‘pen to step up and give him three innings.”
Joe Blanton, Pedro Baez and Kenley Jansen followed Kershaw with one scoreless inning each.
Kershaw scored the first run of the game after his one-out infield single and a two-out walk by Corey Seager in the third inning. Justin Turner singled up the middle, and Kershaw scored from second despite Seager’s risky attempt to go from first to third, barely eluding third baseman Adonis Garcia’s tag with a headfirst slide before Kershaw touched home.
Norris, subbing for the injured Mike Foltynewicz, allowed one run in five innings but slipped to 1-7, as the Dodgers added three insurance runs against the Braves’ bullpen in the eighth on Joc Pederson’s RBI bunt single, an A.J. Ellis sacrifice fly and pinch-hitter Yasmani Grandal’s RBI single.
“It was a great start,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said of Norris.”He said I’ll give you all the bullets I have. He used them all and then some.”
Trayce Thompson, who homered and doubled Friday night, became the first Dodgers player to walk three times and steal three bases in the same game since Roberts in 2004, and the first Dodgers rookie with three steals in a game since Dee Gordon in 2011. Thompson’s third swipe came on a double-steal in the eighth inning that put runners at second and third with one out, allowing him to score the third run of the game on Ellis’ sac fly. The Dodgers had a season-high five stolen bases.
“The game is continuing to slow down for Trayce,” said Roberts. “Whether it’s a right-hander or a left-hander, it doesn’t matter. The athleticism shows on the bases and out in the field. He’s showing a lot of his skills. Every night it seems like he does something to help us win games.”
Norris had not started since he was removed from the Braves’ rotation with a 8.74 ERA in late April, and he had thrown more than 30 pitches just twice within the past 37 days. But the veteran who seems to thrive in the underdog role managed to minimize damage throughout this 91-pitch effort. He stranded two runners with Adrian Gonzalez’s groundout to end third inning and pitched around each of the three walks issued during his final two innings.
“I just wanted to go out there and give it everything I had,” Norris said. “Talking to [Snitker and pitching coach Roger McDowell], they said just give us as many pitches as you can and go as deep as you can. That was kind of the focus. I didn’t have a lot of added pressure. I just wanted to go out there and pitch.”
Missed opportunities : Francoeur had three hits in the four previous at-bats recorded against Kershaw this year before he followed Freddie Freeman’s fourth-inning leadoff single with a strikeout. The Braves also put two on with just one out in the sixth inning, but Kershaw escaped again when Freeman flied out to left field and Francoeur produced a sharp grounder that found shortstop Seager’s glove.
“We put up some good at-bats,” Francoeur said. “That [at-bat in the sixth inning], I just wish it would have found a hole.”
Atlanta will send Matt Wisler to the mound for Sunday’s series finale, which is set to begin at 3:10 p.m. CT. Wisler limited the Dodgers to four hits and one unearned run over 6 2/3 innings on April 21. He has produced a 2.80 ERA and limited opponents to a .205 batting average over his past eight starts.  Thunder Radio will bring you that broadcast on the Braves Radio Network beginning at 2 PM with the pregame show.

The Nashville Sounds clubbed three home runs including a grand slam from Joey Wendle on their way to a 13-5 win over the Omaha Storm Chasers Saturday night at Werner Park.

The scoring was fast and furious for the Sounds who won for the 18th time in their last 20 games. They’re 34-21 overall and lead the American South Division by 4.5 games.

A base hit from Chad Pinder and walks issued to Renato Nunez and Andrew Lambo loaded the bases in the first for Rangel Ravelo. The first baseman made the walks hurt when he rifled a base hit up the middle to plate the first two runs of the game.

They weren’t finished in the opening frame as Matt Olson drew a walk and Wendle plated his first run of the night on a base hit to right field. A throwing error on the play allowed Ravelo to score to make it 4-0 after a half inning.

Sounds’ starter Dillon Overton faced the minimum in the first before he ran into a problem in the second. Catcher Parker Morin cleared the bases with a two-out triple to the gap in right-center to cut the Sounds lead down to 4-3.

Wendle and the offense didn’t waste any time getting the runs back. Singles from Ryon Healy, Ravelo and Olson set the table for Wendle who launched a 2-0 pitch from John Lannan over the right field wall for a grand slam.

Matt McBride followed with a blast of his own to give the Sounds their second set of back-to-back home runs on the season.

Overton went back to work with a 9-3 lead and went into cruise control. He retired 13 of the next 15 hitters and tossed seven strong innings to pick up his fifth win of the season.

Andrew Lambo got in on the home run derby with a solo shot of his own in the fourth. It was Lambo’s fourth homer of the season and the third time the Sounds have hit three home runs in a game this year.

Nashville finished with 14 hits – their seventh consecutive game collecting at least 10 hits. Wendle led the charge with a 3-for-5 night, including five RBI and a pair of runs scored. Ravelo also collected three hits and scored twice.

Game two of the four-game series is set for Sunday afternoon at Werner Park. Right-hander Daniel Mengden (3-0, 1.12) starts for Nashville against left-hander Brian Flynn (2-1, 4.08) for Omaha. First pitch is scheduled for 2:05 p.m.

Corey Seager’s first-career three-homer game propelled the Dodgers to a 4-2 win over the Braves on Friday night at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers only had five hits, but four of them left the yard, as Trayce Thompson, Seager’s roommate, added to Seager’s three solo shots with one of his own.
“One of those things, it didn’t matter where it was thrown, it looked like it was on a tee,” Seager said. “That’s a good feeling when you’re hitting, I hope it will be that way tomorrow.”
Braves starter Julio Teheran, who allowed Thompson’s homer and two of Seager’s, had allowed a total of two in all of May. Those were the only hits Teheran allowed in his 5 2/3 innings.
“It was [Seager’s] night,” Teheran said. “We’ve got to give him the credit.”
Dodgers right-hander Kenta Maeda had one of his best starts since his four-game, one-run stretch to begin the season, allowing two earned runs over 6 1/3 innings with five strikeouts. After allowing runs in the first two innings, Maeda allowed just one hit for the remainder of his appearance. His 107 pitches were also his MLB career high.
“There was a fastball down for a strike, and I think he got his release point back,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Before that, his fastball command was in and out. Slider was inconsistent. Kenta, what he showed in New York, he’s got a lot of heart. He’s going to find a way to compete and give us a chance to win.”
Seager entered Friday night’s game leading the Dodgers in home runs and extended his lead with his second multi-homer game of the season. If you combine Seager’s 12 homers with Thompson’s nine and the eight from their other roommate, Joc Pederson, the household of young Dodgers has seven more homers (29) than the entire Braves team (22).
“I honestly didn’t know Corey had 12 or Trayce had 9, I’m just so caught up in the day to day and winning games,” Roberts said. “Would you have said that at the beginning of the season? Probably not. To get that production offensively from these young guys is great. That production is going to come from other guys as well.”
The three solo home runs accounted for the only hits Teheran surrendered during an effort that left him with a 1.89 ERA over his past nine starts. The Braves right-hander held the Dodgers hitless through the first three innings and then saw Seager hit his first pitch — a changeup — of the fourth inning over the right-center-field wall.
“Even though I didn’t miss with my pitches, they were homers,” Teheran said. “I’m just going to put that game away and concentrate on my next start.” More >
Maeda wasn’t just strong on the mound; he showed why he won four straight gold gloves in Japan’s Central League. Teheran was trying to bunt Kelly Johnson over from first and popped the ball up down the first-base line. Maeda raced over to make the catch, then immediately fired to first to double off Johnson.
“Very confident with my ability to field the position,” Maeda said through an interpreter. “I was going to try get the guy out at second base and I was aiming for that.”
Adonis Garcia’s first-inning RBI single provided an early lead for the Braves, who notched three more singles before Maeda recorded the second out of the second inning. But after Mallex Smith’s RBI single gave Atlanta a 2-0 lead, Maeda retired 14 of the final 16 batters he faced.
“I would have liked to have kept adding on runs, but they just kind of shut us down there after the [second] inning,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “We had a nice flow going and scored those quick runs.”
Teheran became the first pitcher in Braves franchise history to allow exactly three runs and three hits, each of which was a home run, while completing at least five innings.
Dodgers southpaw Adam Liberatore took over the seventh inning for Maeda and ended the inning perfectly. All but one of his 22 appearances have been scoreless this season, good for a 1.08 ERA.
Bud Norris will start in place of Mike Foltynewicz when this series resumes on Saturday at 9:10 p.m. ET. Foltynewicz was placed on the disabled list with a bone spur in his right elbow. Norris posted a 8.74 ERA in the five starts he made before being removed from Atlanta’s rotation.  Thunder Radio will bring you that broadcast on the Braves Radio Network beginning at 8 PM with the pregame show.