The Sounds and Sky Sox went back-and-forth on Wednesday afternoon, but Colorado Springs collected a walk-off win and downed Nashville at Security Service Field with a 4-3 victory.

The Sounds got on the board first in the two games to begin the series and continued the trend with a tally in the opening frame. The strike came off the bat of Jason Pridie, whose solo home run gave Nashville the 1-0 lead. The outfielder has homered in all three games this series against his former team.

Colorado Springs eventually responded, finally putting a few runs up in the fourth. Matt Dominguez and Pete Orr both posted doubles in the frame, capping the three-run inning off Barry Zito.

Wednesday’s outing against the Sky Sox was Zito’s fourth this season. The left-hander continued his hot streak on the mound, posting his 12th quality start by allowing two earned runs over six innings. His pitch count escalated quickly, as he walk four batters and allowed nine hits. Colorado Springs had a base runner in every inning against Zito, but the veteran used his craftiness to escape several jams.

Nashville evened things up for its starter by scoring a pair in the sixth. Joey Wendle led off with an infield single and scored when Pridie slammed a triple to center. The outfielder scored later in the frame when Dayan Viciedo drove him in with a single. The Sounds loaded the bases with one away later in the inning, but came up empty.

Both offenses saw limited opportunities after the sixth inning. Aaron Kurcz was cruising along in relief of Zito but the Sky Sox finally broke through during the right-hander’s third inning of work. They loaded the bases with two singles and a walk before Nevin Ashley collected the line drive single up the middle to give the home team a walk-off victory in the ninth. It was the fifth time an opponent has posted a win against Nashville in the last at-bat this season. Kurcz suffered the loss, his first as a Sound, and Jaye Chapman, who threw two scoreless innings, improved to 2-1 with the win.

The Sounds were outhit in the game, 13-9, but Pridie continued his torrid month of July. In 18 games, the 31-year-old is hitting .364 (24-for-66) with eight home runs, 13 extra-base hits, 20 RBIs, and 14 runs scored. His two hits today helped move his road on-base streak to 17 games, tying Anthony Aliotti for the longest by a Sound this season.

The Sounds conclude their four-game road trip on Thursday against the Sky Sox at Security Service Field. Nashville is scheduled to send out Zach Neal (7-3, 3.53) for the start while Colorado Springs has yet to name a starter. First pitch is scheduled for 8:05 p.m. CST.

Jason Pridie and the Nashville Sounds offense stayed hot, as they narrowly edged the Colorado Springs Sky Sox 7-6 at Security Service Field on Tuesday night.

After three innings the game was locked up at three. The Sounds exploded for three runs in the third inning, with Max Muncy doing most of the damage on a two-run single. Pridie would score the Sounds third run later that inning on a Nate Freiman RBI single.

The Sky Sox tallied a run in each of the first three innings. Matt Clark reached with two outs after the normally sure-handed Joey Wendle made an error. Matt Dominguez took advantage, picking up the RBI single. Elian Herrera recorded an RBI groundout in the second inning and Matt Long got the job done in the third, knocking in the tying run on a sacrifice fly.

The game would not remain tied that long. Pridie smoked a two-run homer in the 5th and the Sounds went up 5-3. The outfielder is on a tear of late, having already hit seven homers in July.

Juan Centeno singled in Dominguez to trim the lead in the latter half of the frame. Dominguez advanced to second base on a wild pitch by Sounds starter Nate Long. Long went five innings, giving up four runs (three earned), walking five and striking out three to earn the win.

The Sounds added two insurance runs in the sixth. Niuman Romero doubled and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Craig Gentry. Wendle batted next and tripled, he then moved up 90 feet and scored on a wild pitch.

Arnold Leon threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief before giving way to Phil Coke. Coke was tagged for an RBI triple by Centeno in the ninth and was strategically removed by Steve Scarsone after a right-handed batter, Nevin Ashley was sent to bat. The move initially failed, as Ryan Cook (S, 8) came in and squandered an RBI single. Cook did retire the next batter however, and the Sounds won 7-6.

The two teams will meet again tomorrow at 1:35 p.m. CST. Barry Zito (6-7, 3.57) is on the mound for Nashville. He will be opposed by Josh Roenicke (5-7, 5.26).

Chris Johnson recorded three hits and the Braves benefited from a couple of costly errors while preserving Alex Wood’s determined effort in Tuesday night’s 4-3 win over the Dodgers at Turner Field.

Nick Markakis opened the decisive fifth inning with a single and advanced to second when center fielder Joc Pederson fumbled the ball. Johnson followed with a single to set the stage for former Dodger Juan Uribe to deliver the go-ahead RBI single off Pedro Baez, who was the second of four relievers used after Los Angeles’ starter Brett Anderson suffered a left Achilles tendon injury in the third inning.

After surrendering solo home runs to Justin Turner and Yasiel Puig through the first two innings, Wood allowed just one more run over 6 2/3. Luis Avilan pitched around a Jace Peterson error in the eighth, and Jim Johnson saved it for the Braves’ second straight win in this three-game set.

One day after saying he hoped the Braves would find a trade partner for him, Johnson notched his third three-hit game of the season and two RBIs. The veteran infielder plated the first on a first-inning groundout and followed Markakis’ one-out triple in the third inning with a single.

Dodgers reliever Chin-hui Tsao probably wasn’t expecting an at-bat Tuesday night, but he got one in the fifth inning. And he made the most of it. Tsao’s leadoff ground-rule double helped the Dodgers tie the Braves at 3 after an RBI single from Howie Kendrick. It was Tsao’s first hit since Aug. 23, 2003, against Mike Hampton and the Braves.

Dodger manager Don Mattingly — who was ejected in the eighth inning Tuesday — said he would try and get some fresh players in Wednesday’s 11:10 p.m. CT finale at Turner Field against the Braves.  Atlanta will counter with Julio Teheran, who completed just 4 2/3 innings in his first start after the All-Star break. This has been a frustrating season for Teheran, but despite the command struggles he experienced against the Cubs on Friday, he has posted a 2.18 ERA in nine home starts.

The hot days of July can only mean one thing……fall prep sports are just around the corner!  As each fall sport nears the midpoint of their preseason work, the fall regular season for local high school and middle school teams begin next week in Coffee County.

The Coffee County Central High School Golf team will open the regular season on Tuesday, July 28th with a 9 AM match in Fayetteville against Lincoln County as they once again lead all prep programs into the fall season.  The Raider golfers will look to be stronger as they return several contributors from last season.  The Lady Raiders will attempt to make another trip to the state tournament as they return 3 golfers that are among the best in the state.  The Raiders and Lady Raiders will play their final tune up match on Thursday at Tullahoma in the Lakewood Preseason Tournament beginning at 8:00 AM at the Lakewood Country Club.  Raider golf coach Mike Ray will join us on Thunder Radio this Saturday live from Al White Ford/Lincoln on the Coffee Coaches Show to give our listeners a preview of the season to come.  You can tune in at 10:00 AM or come out and see us at the show in the Al White showroom.

Also getting cranked up next week will be the middle school football teams.  The Westwood Rockets will hold their annual Blue & White game on Thursday, July 30th at 7:00 PM at Dyer-Bouldin Field.  The Rockets will be back in action on the very next night as they travel to Wartrace to take on Cascade in a jamboree at 7:00 PM on Friday, July 31st.  The Rockets open the regular season at Moore County on August 6th with a 6:30 PM game in Lynchburg.  The Coffee County Middle School Raiders will travel to Smyrna on July 31st for a scrimmage with Rock Springs Middle School.  The Raiders will travel to Grundy County for a jamboree on Friday, August 7th before opening the season at home on August 11th against Whitwell.

In prep volleyball, the Coffee County Central High School Lady Raiders will host an Alumni Game on Friday, July 31st beginning at 6:00 PM.  They will then travel to Chattanooga on Saturday, August 1st for a scrimmage play day.  The Lady Raiders open the season on Tuesday,August 18th at home versus Shelbyville.  The Coffee County Middle School volleyball team gets their season underway with a scrimmage play day at CHS on Saturday, August 8th.  The CCMS Lady Raiders open their season at home against Fayetteville on Tuesday, August 11th.  Coach Lora Selvog, head coach of the CCMS volleyball team will also be a guest on Saturday’s Coffee Coaches Show.

The prep soccer teams also get underway in early August as Westwood opens the regular season at home against Cascade on Thursday, August 6th.  Lady Rockets head coach Donna Burdine will be a guest on Saturday’s Coffee Coaches Show to talk about the upcoming season.  The CCMS Lady Raiders will host a scrimmage play day on Saturday, August 8th at their home field.  They open the regular season at Shelbyville on August 13th as they take on Harris.  The CHS soccer team will host their own scrimmage play day on Saturday, August 1st.   The Lady Raiders open the regular season at Riverdale on August 17th.

As always, Thunder Radio is your source for all prep sports in Coffee County.  We will keep you updated on scores, schedules and highlights daily at our website.  We will also bring you 10 weeks of prep coverage on Tuesdays and Thursdays with our Home Town Tuesdays broadcasts.  And we will let you hear from the coaches each Saturday live from Al White Ford/Lincoln on the Coffee Coaches Show.