CHS Baseball coach David Martin(far right) talks to his team between innings.

Alan Rob laced the first pitch he saw in the top of the 7th inning into the left-center field gap for the game winning RBI as the Red Raider baseball team rallied for a 10 to 9 win over Warren County on Friday night in high school baseball. Rob, who was 2 for 4 with 2 doubles, drove in Noah Anderson who had tied the game with a 2 out RBI single on the pitch before. Davis Green had a home run and a single and Nathaniel Tate had a double and single to join Rob and Anderson as the hit leaders for Coffee County. Gavin Husted added a triple as the Red Raiders banged out 7 extra bases hits on the night. The Raiders will welcome the Pioneers to Powers Field on Saturday afternoon for the 2nd game in the rivalry series. First pitch is set for 3 PM and Thunder Radio will bring you the broadcast beginning with the pregame show at 2:50.

CHS pitcher Kaylee Skipper (Photo by Jay Bailey of Manchester Times)

The Lady Raider softball team had a strong showing as they went 3 and 0 in the first day of the Warrior Classic being held in Murfreesboro. Playing at Barfield Park, the Lady Raiders opened with a 2 to 1 win over Stewart County, followed by a 4 to 3 win over Brighton. In the nightcap, the Lady Raiders had a little bit easier time as they dispatched Zion Benton of Illinois 6 to 3.
Erin Ferrell pitched 5 and 2/3 innings allowing only 1 hit to get the win for Coffee County. Raven Rogers came on in relief in the 6th and earned the save. Katie Rutledge and Claire Spellings each had an RBI.
Against Brighton, Coffee County built a 4 to 0 lead in the first 2 innings and Kaylee Skipper gutted out the 7 inning win for Coffee County. Raven Rogers delivered an RBI double for Coffee County which made the most its 3 hits. Brighton had 12 hits on the game, but Skipper was able to pitch out of bases-loaded jams in the 2nd and 5th innings.
In the nightcap, the Lady Raiders broke open a tight game in the 4th inning with a 3 run explosion, highlighted by Haley Hindshaw’s 2 RBI single. Haley Richardson came on in relief for starting pitcher Katie Rutledge and claimed the win. Skipper came on in relief and got the final 2 outs for the save. Rogers and Lauren Tomberlin each had 2 hits for Coffee County.
The Lady Raiders finish tournament play on Saturday when they face Scott County, Kentucky at noon and Walsh Jesuit of Ohio at 4 PM. Both of those games will take place at McKnight Park in Murfreesboro on Field #2.

Hayden Skipper of CCMS Baseball

The numbers added up in the Coffee County Middle School baseball teams favor on Friday night as the Red Raiders dumped Boyd Christian 6 to 3. 6 runs scored by the top of the order, 4 pitchers used, 3 hits allowed and 11 strikeouts by the Coffee County pitchers added up to the comfortable win for the Raiders who have won 4 of their last 5 games. Braden Brown, Hayden Skipper, Griffin Meeker and Brandon Jernigan all combined for the win for Coffee Middle. Skipper led the team offensively with 2 doubles, 2 runs scored and a pair of RBI while Blanton Brown had 2 singles and added an RBI. Garrett Davis and Jalen Morris also scored twice for the Raiders who return to conference play on Monday when they travel to Franklin County to take on South. First pitch is set for 5 PM.

Pete Weber’s Postgame Report

James Neal of the Nashville Predators

The Nashville Predators altered the franchise record books in several different instances on Saturday.

The Preds came away with a 5-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets at Bridgestone Arena to earn points No. 90 and 91 on the season. Since Feb. 12, the Predators have more points in the standings than any other NHL club. The team has a 14-2-5 record, good for 33 points in the standings.

“We were ready to start tonight, every line was,” center Ryan Johansen said. “Huge credit to the guys on this team tonight, we didn’t give them a sniff at all. Usually there are some momentum swings, but for the most part we handled them really well.”

James Neal hit the 30-goal mark for the second time in his career when he sniped a shot past Joonas Korpisalo and into the twine at 3:04 of the first period to give the Preds a 1-0 lead. After Boone Jenner evened the contest for Columbus, Mattias Ekholm gave Nashville the lead back when he redirected the puck into the cage from the slot for his eighth of the season, a new career high. The Predators finished the first period with 27 shots on goal, setting a franchise record in the process.

The record books were altered once again in the second period when Craig Smith gave Nashville a 3-1 lead at 6:11. Roman Josi recorded his 43rd assist of the season on the goal, setting a franchise record for assists by a defenseman in a single season. Then it was Shea Weber’s turn, as he blasted a shot past Korpisalo on the power play for a 4-1 advantage. The goal was No. 164 of the Captain’s career, passing Martin Erat for sole possession of second all-time in Predators goal scoring.

Calle Jarnkrok added another goal only 23 seconds into the third period, and with it came yet another record for Josi, as he tied the franchise mark for most points by a defenseman in a single season with 56. Josi finished the night with three assists as Nashville set a season-high mark for most shots in a game with 48 overall.

At the other end of the ice, Pekka Rinne turned aside 18 shots for his 32nd victory of the season to give him a 12-1-2 record over his last 15 outings.

The win gives Nashville points in 10 consecutive home games with a 7-0-3 record during the stretch.

“I like the win tonight better than the [Vancouver game on Thursday, a 3-2 shootout win], but there something to be said about a comeback, with your team battling in the third period, overcoming something that wasn’t working for you, and pulling one out in a shootout,” Head Coach Peter Laviolette said. “You never know what is going to happen on any given night, but we always seem to have a good response.”

What started as a slew of shots in the first period spawned into an entire list of franchise records that were either tied or broken in a 5-1 win for the Preds over Columbus.

The most notable achievements included James Neal’s 30th goal of the season, which gave Nashville two, 30-goal scorers in the same season for the first time since 2005-06, when Steve Sullivan and Paul Kariya hit the mark. Neal joined Filip Forsberg, who has 31 goals on the season.

“That’s huge; in parts of the season, one of us has been hot at different times, and that’s been good,” Forsberg said of him and Neal. “We always try to shoot a lot of pucks, and [Neal’s] got an unbelievable shot. He’s been really showing the fans and the team what he can do. It’s been unbelievable to watch him.”

But it was Nashville’s defensive stalwarts who really made their mark on the night. Captain Shea Weber slid into sole possession of second in all-time goals scored in Predators franchise history with 164.

“He plays a big game,” Laviolette said of his Captain. “He provides that heavy presence on the backend. Again, the offense is easy; to look at the goals, and his shot on the goalie he scored tonight was awesome. But he provides so many heavy minutes for us against the top players on every team, and he does it night in and night out. His leadership and his presence on the ice is incredible, it’s the stability of us. The offense speaks for itself.”

Much like his d-partner, Roman Josi also got in on the act, first breaking the record for most assists in a single season by a Preds defenseman with 43, and then tying Weber’s own franchise record for most points by a defenseman in a single season with 56.

“Shea has been a great role model for me,” Josi said. “Having as many points as him is a big honor for me. He’s been one of the best defensemen in the League for years, and I’ve learned so much from him, so it’s definitely a big honor for me.”

The Predators finish their four-game home stand on Monday night when they host the Colorado Avalanche.  The game gets underway at 7 PM and Thunder Radio will bring you all the action on the Fifth Third Bank/Nashville Predators Radio Network.

Friday Prep Schedule – Updated 10:20 AM
2:00 PM – CHS Softball vs. Stewart Co @ Warrior Classic – Barfield Park Field #5
4:00 PM – CHS Softball vs. South Elgin, IN @ Warrior Classic – Barfield Park Field #6
5:00 PM – CCMS Baseball HOSTS Boyd Christian
6:00 PM – CHS Soccer HOSTS Ooltewah – POSTPONED until late April
7:00 PM – CHS Baseball at Warren Co
8:00 PM – CHS Softball vs. Zion Benton, IL @ Warrior Classic – Barfield Park Field #8

Saturday Prep Schedule
11:00 AM – CHS Track at Early Bird Invitational – Riverdale
12:00 PM – CHS Softball vs. Scott Co, KY @ Warrior Classic – McKnight Park Field #2
3:00 PM – CHS Baseball HOSTS Warren Co – Thunder Radio Broadcast
4:00 PM – CHS Softball vs. Walsh Jesuit, OH @ Warrior Classic – McKnight Park Field #2