Saturday Prep Schedule
6:00 AM – CHS Bass Club at State Trail Championship on Old Hickory Lake
3:00 PM – CHS Baseball vs. Lincoln Co – District Tournament at Lawrence Co
7:00 PM – CHS Boys’ Soccer at Lincoln Co – District Tournament

Frankie Montas went six solid innings and Anthony Garcia knocked in a pair of runs to lead the Nashville Sounds to a 3-1 win over the Memphis Redbirds in front of 9,259 fans at First Tennessee Park Friday night.

Montas earned his first win of the season and went six innings for the first time since 2015. The right-hander allowed a second inning home run to Adolis Garcia but settled in. He scattered six hits and finished his night by striking out Patrick Wisdom to end the sixth.

Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the third, the Sounds got a big two-out hit from Slade Heathcott to even the game at 1-1. With Nick Martini at third, Heathcott lined a base hit through the left side.

It stayed 1-1 until Garcia drilled a solo homer to lead off the bottom of the sixth. The right fielder’s blast to the seats in the Hyundai Deck was his team-leading fourth of the season.

Garcia was at it again with a clutch two-out hit in the seventh. Dustin Fowler set the stage when he lined a triple to the gap in right-center. After Franklin Barreto flied out to center for the second out, Heathcott walked to put runners at the corners. Garcia lined a base hit up the middle to give the Sounds a 3-1 lead.

The bullpen trio of Jake Sanchez, Jeremy Bleich and Raul Alcantara did the rest. Sanchez tossed a scoreless seventh, Bleich followed suit in the eighth, and Alcantara worked the ninth to pick up the save.

The four-game series continues Saturday night at First Tennessee Park. Right-hander Daniel Gossett (1-0, 0.96) starts for Nashville against left-hander Austin Gomber (2-0, 2.45) for Memphis. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.

Post-Game Notes

• With tonight’s 3-1 win, the Sounds improved to 13-14 on the season.
• Nashville starter Frankie Montas threw a season-high 6.0 innings. It was the first time Montas went at least 6.0 innings since August 21, 2015 while pitching with Double-A Birmingham.
• Left fielder Nick Martin extended his on-base streak to 16 games with a third inning walk. Martini has reached safely in every game he has played in since April 14.
• Right fielder Anthony García hit his team-leading fourth home run of the season in the sixth inning. It was the third go-ahead homer of the season for Nashville.
• Center fielder Dustin Fowler had another multi-hit game – his fifth over his last six games and team-leading 13^th of the season. Fowler has hit safely in six straight and is hitting .420 (21-for-50) over his last 11 games.

The 2018 season is the Sounds’ 41^st in franchise history and fourth as the Oakland Athletics’ top affiliate. Single-game tickets are available now by calling (615) 690-4487 or by visiting www.nashvillesounds.com.

2018 District 8 Baseball Tournament(updated 5-3-18)

Opening up District 8AAA tournament play at home on Thursday, the Red Raider baseball team welcomed Shelbyville to Powers Field. Coffee County got a masterful pitching performance from Hayden Skipper. Skipper’s arm and some timely hitting lifted the Red Raiders to a 3 to 0 win that you heard right here on Thunder Radio.

After 3 scoreless innings, Coffee County got on the board in the 4th inning on a wild pitch. In the 5th, the Red Raiders got their 2nd run on a fielder’s choice. In the 6th, Coffee County scored again after a single by Skylar Bratcher and an error by the Eagle’s centerfielder. After Skipper loaded the bases in the 7th innings on walks, Harley Hinshaw came on to get a strikeout and ground out to end the game and earn the save.

Bratcher finished the game with 2 of Coffee County’s 6 hits. Jacob Langham was credited with the lone RBI of the game. Skipper finished with 9 strikeouts allowing 2 hits to be named the Crazy Daisies player of the game.

Coffee County will now advance to Friday’s 2nd round matchup with Franklin County in Winchester. First pitch is set for 6 PM.
Download the broadcast at: http://www.thunder1320.com/downloads/

2018 District 8 Softball Tournament(updated 5-3-18)

After struggling to score against Tullahoma on Tuesday night, the Coffee County Lady Raiders erupted for 11 hits and 12 runs in a 5 inning win over Franklin County.  The win gives the Lady Raiders a first round win in the District 8AAA softball tournament.  Coffee County took the win 12 to 1.

Coffee County scored 3 runs in the 1^st inning and 3 runs in the 2^nd inning to build a 6 to 1 lead.  The Lady Raiders added 4 more in the 3^rd inning and 2 more in the 4^th inning to shorten the game via the mercy rule.

Keri Munn got the win in the circle allowing 3 hits while striking out 6.  At the plate, Munn was 2 for 2 with 2 singles and 2 RBI.  Haley Richardson had 2 doubles and scored 3 runs.  Ashley Evans had a pair of singles while Gracie Pippenger hit a double and Katie Rutledge and Shelby Scrivnor had triples.

The win advances Coffee County to Friday’s 2^nd round at Lincoln County.  The Lady Raiders will square off against Tullahoma for the 3^rd time in 9 days.  First pitch is scheduled for 7 PM at Lincoln County High School.  Thunder Radio will be on hand to bring you the broadcast.  The pregame show will begin around 6:45.

P.K. Subban of the Nashville Predators [Photo by nhl.com]

Goaltender Pekka Rinne made 32 saves and P.K. Subban slapped home the game-winner in the second period as Nashville built a 2-0 lead while keeping the Winnipeg Jets’ red-hot offense discombobulated. The victory evens Nashville’s series with the Winnipeg at 2-2 and creates a best-of-three with two of the remaining games at Bridgestone Arena.

After allowing 13 goals (not counting two empty-netters) in the first three games, Nashville’s identity – one that’s built from the net out with excellent defense – was fading. The messaging going into Game 4 was simple: tight gap control between defenders and Jets’ shooters, physicality and simple clears out of the D zone.

And that was exactly what the Predators did.

“It was something we really focused on, playing solid defensively,” Rinne said. “That was an amazing team effort. We played a really solid game throughout the 60 minutes and it’s obviously a big win for us.”

Focused on the defensive zone first, the Predators chose their moments to counter attack in the first period until Ryan Hartman put a loose puck top shelf at 17:20 of the first. The goal was a second-straight opening act by Nashville’s fourth line, a unit Head Coach Peter Laviolette described as “rock solid.”

“Even tonight, the way they defended, the way they hit, the way they competed on pucks, the way they chipped in on goals, they’ve got a couple goals in the series, they’re doing a terrific job,” Laviolette said of the line. “You have to give them a little bit of credit. I thought they were excellent.”

In the second, Winnipeg’s frustration continued to grow as the Jets’ stars experienced stifling neutral zone play from Nashville and the Predators breathing down their necks every time they entered the offensive zone.

When a minor penalty on Dustin Byfuglien gave the Preds their first power-play opportunity of the evening, Subban made sure the chance was converted. The blueliner’s one-timer provided Nashville a 2-0 lead late in the middle frame and gave Subban goals in three consecutive playoff games for the first time in his career.

“He had a monster game tonight,” Laviolette said of Subban. “He was a beast out there.”

Patrik Laine ended Rinne’s shutout bid with a power-play goal that came less with than a minute to play in regulation, but that was as close as Winnipeg came all night. Now, the Preds head home to Nashville with a chance to take their first lead of the series with home-ice advantage back in their favor.

“We’re heading home playing in front of our fans in a big game,” Subban said. “We know [the Jets are] going to be better as the series goes on. In this position, this is exactly what the teams expected it to be – a long series. Now we got home ice back.”

Coaching Mastery:

After a 7-4 loss in Game 3, Peter Laviolette said he looked at his fellow coaches and told them: “I’m putting Scott Hartnell in the lineup.”

The question coming back quickly was who would sit to make room for the 36-year-old veteran? Laviolette didn’t want to touch his first, third or fourth lines, all of whom he thought were playing particularly well, so the magnifying glass stopped on the second trio.

Laviolette decided to replace Kevin Fiala with Hartnell’s edge and experience for Game 4. That was the spark he felt his team needed to shift the narrative of the series with a chance to tie the Round Two battle.

“With Scott coming into the lineup, in this building against the opponent we were playing, I saw somebody that had a little bit of experience, has more size, more weight, more physicality, still be able to score a goal if you give him the opportunity and maybe a different look to that line as well,” Laviolette said of his decision. “We made the switch, and I thought Hartsy did a pretty good job tonight. He had a few shots on goal, he had four hits, so that’s what we were looking to do.”

Coworkers on a Philadelphia Flyers club that went to the Stanley Cup Final in 2010, Laviolette knows exactly what Hartnell can bring on the ice even in the twilight of his NHL career. As do Hartnell’s current teammates.

“Ultimate team guy,” Rinne said of Hartnell. “Great in the locker room, and his presence, his experience I think calms everybody down. He’s a warrior out there, and that’s just the way he played tonight. He was one of the key guys for us tonight on the forecheck and making smart plays and being physical.”

Whether or not Hartnell will remain in for Game 5 remains to be seen, but Laviolette knows what he’s getting if he chooses to call the veteran’s number once more. He also knows what kind of series this is turning out to be, and it’s just what he expected.

“It’s a best-of-three now and our guys will be ready to play, and so will Winnipeg,” Laviolette said. “You just have keep turning the page. [Game 3] was crazy and so you have to turn the page on that at some point and start focusing on the next one. I thought our guys did a good job at that tonight.”

Notes:

Hartnell and defenseman Yannick Weber entered the Predators lineup for Game 4, replacing Fiala and Alexei Emelin, respectively. Calle Jarnkrok remained out after missing Game 3 as well with what Laviolette called “maintenance.”

Of Subban’s three consecutives goals, all of them have been the Predators’ second goal of the game and with Nashville on the power play.

Game 5 between the Predators and Jets is set for Saturday night (at 8:30 p.m. CT) at Bridgestone Arena before the series heads back to Winnipeg one final time for Game 6 (8:30 p.m.) on Monday. If necessary, a deciding Game 7 (time TBD) would come in Nashville next Thursday.

Pete Weber’s Postgame Report

The series finale between the Nashville Sounds and the Colorado Springs Sky Sox was suspended after eight innings with the Sounds on top 14-6. The game was delayed for nearly two hours due to inclement weather and was suspended after the eighth inning due to a travel curfew. The game will be completed in August when the Sounds return to Colorado Springs.

The Sounds jumped out to an early lead as Jorge Mateo launched a solo-blast off the batter’s eye in straightaway center field to lead off the game. The lead was short-lived as the Sky Sox plated three runs in the home half of the first inning. Christian Bethancourt doubled over the head of center fielder Dustin Fowler to drive in a pair of runs and came into score on a Tyler Saladino base hit.

Anthony Garcia cut the Sky Sox lead in half with a one-out home run in the top of the second inning, his second home run of the season. Colorado Springs immediately responded in their half of the second inning as Mauricio Dubon and Ji-Man Choi collected back-to-back run-scoring doubles.

Nashville conducted a two-out rally in the third inning to draw even 5-5. Sheldon Neuse ignited the rally with a bloop single to left field. Slade Heathcott doubled off the wall in right field before Mateo crushed his second home run of the game off the batter’s eye.

A run-scoring triple from Steve Lombardozzi in the sixth inning gave the Sounds a lead they would not relinquish. Nashville scored one more run in the sixth, two in the seventh, and five in the eighth to secure the victory. The eighth inning was highlighted by Garcia’s three-run blast off the scoreboard beyond the left field fence.

For the first time this season, Sounds starter James Naile did not factor into the decision The right-hander battled the conditions and the Sky Sox potent offense as he surrendered five runs on nine hits and threw 98 pitches in just four innings of work.

Emilio Pagán was added to Nashville’s active roster prior to Thursday’s game and is in line for the win in his Sounds debut. He retired all six batters he faced, including three via strikeout. Bobby Wahl

All nine batters in the Sounds lineup have recorded a hit including six with multi-hit games. Mateo is 4-for-5 for his ninth career four-hit game.

The Sounds return home Friday evening for a four-game series against the Memphis Redbirds. Right-hander Frankie Montas (0-3, 6.19) starts for the Sounds against right-hander Jack Flaherty (3-0, 2.25) for the Redbirds. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.

Post-Game Notes

• Thursday’s game was the first suspended game of the season.
• All statistics are not yet official due to the game being suspended.
• Jorge Mateo’s first inning home run was the first lead-off home run for the Sounds since Franklin Barreto did so on July 21, 2017 at New Orleans. He and Anthony Garcia became the first Sounds players to hit two home runs in a game since Mark Canha hit two against Las Vegas on July 25, 2017.
• Slade Heathcott tallied three doubles Thursday, marking the 23^rd time in the PCL era a Sounds player has doubled at least three times in a game.
• Thursday was the second time this season the Sounds hit multiple home runs in a game and first time they hit more than two. The Sounds hit two home runs on Opening Day at New Orleans.

The 2018 season is the Sounds’ 41^st in franchise history and fourth as the Oakland Athletics’ top affiliate. Single-game tickets are available now by calling (615) 690-4487 or by visiting www.nashvillesounds.com.