Category: Sports

The Nashville Sounds Baseball Club returns to First Tennessee Park for a seven-game homestand on Wednesday, August 1.

The Sounds welcome the Fresno Grizzlies, the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros, for a three-game series from August 1-3 before hosting the Sacramento River Cats, the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, for a four-game series from August 4-7.

Below is a preview for each game of the homestand:

Wednesday, August 1 vs. Fresno – 7:05 p.m.

• Gates open at 6:00 p.m.
• Wear It Wednesday Jorge Mateo T-Shirt Giveaway to the first 2,000 fans presented by Delek US.

Thursday, August 2 vs. Fresno – 7:05 p.m.

• Gates open at 6:00 p.m.
• Throwback Thursday presented by Budweiser – the Sounds will wear throwback uniforms to commemorate the team’s original uniform style from 1978. Fans can purchase Pepsi fountain soda and Budweiser products at a discounted rate.

Friday, August 3 vs. Fresno – 7:05 p.m.

• Gates open at 6:00 p.m.
• FOX 17 News post-game fireworks presented by Koorsen Fire & Security.

Saturday, August 4 vs. Sacramento – 7:05 p.m.

• Gates open at 6:00 p.m.
• Girl Scout Night – Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee can purchase discounted tickets. Scouts can also participate in a Baseball 101 Clinic at 2:30 p.m. at First Tennessee Park. Sign-ups are being accepted (limited to 50 spots) through the Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee office at 615-460-0227.
• Enjoy Saturday at the Park with visits to The Band Box and our Family Fun Zone in the right field corner.

 Sunday, August 5 vs. Sacramento – 6:15 p.m.

• Gates open at 5:15 p.m.
• Kids Backpack Giveaway to the first 1,000 fans (12 & under) presented by First Tennessee.
• Back to School Night – School of Rock will perform a pregame concert at the Family Fun Zone from 5:30-6:00 p.m.
• Hyundai pre-game autograph session with select Sounds players from 5:15 to 5:30 p.m.
• Military Sunday Family Fun Day – The Sounds extend their military appreciation by wearing special military jerseys on the field and offering discounted reserved section tickets for active and veteran men, women and families – subject to availability.
• Post-Game Kids Run the Bases (12 & under) presented by First Tennessee.

Monday, August 6 vs. Sacramento – 7:05 p.m.

• Gates open at 6:00 p.m.
• Kroger Plus Monday – Buy a “Family 4-Pack” that includes 4 Select section tickets, 4 hot dogs & 4 fountain sodas for $44 when fans show their Kroger Plus card at the Sounds Ticket Office.

Tuesday, August 7 vs. Sacramento – 7:05 p.m.

• Gates open at 6:00 p.m.
• Takeover Tuesday with a special guest social media contributor presented by Pepsi.

Seniors and Military families can enjoy a $2.00 discount on single game ticket prices at First Tennessee Park. The offer is valid for any reserved seat section on Sunday through Wednesday games – subject to availability. Offer valid for up to four (4) tickets per I.D. (Seniors 55 +, government issued military I.D. required at box office; no phone orders).

 The Nashville Sounds’ media partners for weekly promotions include Nash FM 103.3, 104.5 The Zone, 96.3 JACK-fm, iHeartRadio, FOX 17 News, and WSMV-TV Channel 4.

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.

Members of the CHS golf team with their tournament championship trophy on Monday. Left to Right are Samuel Prater, Austin Farris, Matthew Hale, Chase Hancock, Josh Perry and Coach Mike Ray [Photo provided]

For the second match in a row, Samuel Prater had the low round of the day for the Red Raiders as he shot a 4 over par 75 to finish in a 2 way tie for second place.  Austin Farris carded a 78 while Matthew Hale and Josh Perry each got around in 81 strokes.  Chase Hancock fired an 84 to round out the scoring for the Raiders.

The win improves the Raiders record to 17 and 0 on the young season.  Coach Mike Ray was pleased with his team’s performance.  “I thought we played pretty well overall considering we went into this course blind; none of our kids have ever played here before” said Ray.  He went on to add “they didn’t really know what to expect when they got here, so considering that, I’m pretty proud and its always great to be able to bring home some hardware.”

Coffee County will travel to a tournament in Cookeville on Tuesday.  The Raiders will return to Cookeville on Monday, August 6th before their first home match.  The Raiders first home match will be on Tuesday, August 7th at Willowbrook when they welcome Warren County for a 9 hole match at 4 PM.

The Nashville Sounds scored three runs in the ninth and four runs in the 11^th to cap a dramatic come-from-behind 11-8 win over the Salt Lake Bees Monday night at Smith’s Ballpark.

The four-hour, 28-minute marathon featured 13 pitchers, 31 hits, 15 walks and saw the two teams combine to go 17-for-50 with runners in scoring position.

Nashville trailed 5-0 early as Salt Lake chased starter Daniel Mengden in the bottom of the first inning after four runs and 41 pitches. Six Nashville relievers combined to limit the Bees to four runs over the next 10-plus innings to keep the Sounds alive.

The comeback began in the third when Beau Taylor knocked in Melvin Mercedes with a run-scoring single. In the fifth, hits from Ramon Laureano, Taylor and Steve Lombardozzi helped Nashville put up three runs to trim the deficit to 5-4.

Salt Lake scored single runs in the home half of the fifth and seventh to build a 7-4 lead.

The late-inning heroics came with two outs in the ninth for the Sounds. Sheldon Neuse’s two-out single kept the game alive and extended his hitting streak to 15 games.

Lombardozzi drew a walk and Jorge Mateo’s infield single loaded the bases for Brett Vertigan. The right-fielder rifled a line drive down the right field line, clearing the bases with a double to draw the game even at 7-7.

With the game still tied at 7-7 in the top of the 11^th, catcher Beau Taylor gave the Sounds their first lead of the night with a run-scoring triple. The inning continued with two walks and two more hits. Lombardozzi knocked in his third run of the game with a sacrifice fly, Vertigan drove in his fourth run of the night with a single and Mercedes made it an 11-7 game with a run-scoring base hit.

Jeremy Bleich worked the bottom of the 11^th and gave up a sacrifice fly but shut down any comeback hopes for Salt Lake. Liam Hendriks worked two scoreless innings and earned his second win of the season.

Laureano, Taylor, Vertigan and Mercedes had multi-hit games as the Sounds pounded out 15 hits in the win.

The Sounds return home to First Tennessee Park following a league off day Tuesday. Left-hander Eric Jokisch (3-9, 4.69) starts for the Sounds against right-hander Cy Sneed (9-5, 3.51) for the Fresno Grizzlies. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Post-Game Notes

• With tonight’s 11-8 win, the Sounds improved to 52-55 on the season.
• Tonight’s win improved the Sounds’ record to 7-5 in extra innings.
• The Sounds overcame a five-run deficit, their largest comeback win of the season.
• The 4-hour, 28-minute game was the longest Sounds game of the year.
• Sheldon Neuse extended his career-long hitting streak to 15 games with a two-out single in the ninth inning. Neuse is batting .379 (22-for-58) during his 15-game streak.
• Ramón Laureano extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a single in the third inning. Laureano went 3-for-6 and is batting .512 (21-for-41) during his 10-game streak.

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.

Hayden Skipper of CHS baseball

Coffee County CHS baseball player Hayden Skipper has announced his intention to play college baseball at the University of Louisville.  After a whirlwind recruitment this summer, Skipper announced his decision via Twitter last Sunday.  The left-handed pitcher spent the summer playing with the Rawlings SE Prospects out of Nashville and drawing extensive recruiting attention.

The junior’s verbal commitment is non-binding until he can sign in November of 2019.  Skipper was actively recruited by Tennessee, Lipscomb, MTSU and Vanderbilt in addition to Louisville.  When asked why he chose Louisville, Skipper expressed respect and admiration for the program, facilities and the coaching staff.  Skipper has been promised that he will get a chance to play in the outfield and to pitch.

Coffee County coach David Martin was enthusiastic about Skipper’s commitment.  “Not only is Louisville getting a great player, they are getting a great young man” said Martin.  Louisville competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference(ACC) and is coached by Dan McConnell.

CHS baseball coach David Martin(center) with new assistant coaches Steve Wilder(left) and Matt Shepherd(right)

The Coffee County CHS baseball team has added a pair of assistant coaches for the 2019 season.  Coffee County CHS athletic director Rebecca Koger announced the hirings last week.  Matt Shepherd and Steve Wilder will join the staff with returning assistant coach Parker Gunn for head coach David Martin.

Shepherd played baseball for Tennessee Tech and was drafted as a pitcher by the San Diego Padres.  “I am thrilled to be able to add this level of experience to our athletic department. Coach Shepherd will be an immense help to our student-athletes and to Coach Martin. He is knowledgeable and passionate about baseball“said Koger.

Wilder returns to Coffee County after spending last year at Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  Wilder, who formerly coached the CHS Lady Raider softball team, is a former baseball coach in Dyersburg.  Wilder, who led the Lady Raider softball team to the TSSAA state tournament in 2017, led Dyersburg baseball team to the state tournament.  “It is great to get back home” said Wilder.

Coach David Martin and his new assistant coaches were guests on the Coffee Coaches Show on Saturday.  You can download that interview at: http://www.podcastgarden.com/episode/coffee-coaches-show_131642 The Coffee Coaches Show is broadcast each Saturday from the showroom of Al White Ford/Lincoln beginning at 10 AM.

The Coffee County CHS golf team will travel to Lawrenceburg on Monday for an 18 hole tournament.  Coffee County will also play a pair of tournaments in Cookeville, on Tuesday and Monday, August 6th before their first home match.  The Raiders first home match will be on Tuesday, August 7th at Willowbrook when they welcome Warren County for a 9 hole match.

The Nashville Sounds came from behind to topple the Salt Lake Bees 9-5 Sunday night at Smith’s Ballpark. The win snapped a season-long four-game losing streak for the Sounds.

Trailing 5-3 in the seventh, the Sounds used an unconventional play to take the lead. With two outs in the inning Brett Vertigan gave the Sounds the spark they needed. His double chased Salt Lake starter Dylan Unsworth from the game. Unsworth’s replacement, Ryan Clark entered and promptly plunked Melvin Mercedes. Ramón Laureano then drew a walk to load the bases. Steve Lombardozzi delivered the knockout blow with a two-run base hit. Lombardozzi attempted to advance to second base and an errant throw from third baseman Taylor Ward went into right field, which allowed both Laureano and Lombardozzi to come around to score.

Lombardozzi had his best game of the season as he went 3-for-5 with two runs, three RBI and a stolen base. His three hits, two runs, three RBI, and one stolen base all matched season-highs for the first baseman.

The Bees jumped on Sounds starter Chris Bassitt right from the start. Luis Rengifo singled to start the bottom of the first and then was followed up by an opposite field line drive home run from Michael Hermosillo to put the Sounds in an early 2-0 hole. Salt Lake added a run in the second inning before a fourth inning flurry from the Sounds evened the score in the fourth.

Unsworth retired the Sounds in order the first time through the lineup but the results were much different the second time around. The first five batters to come to the plate for the Sounds in the fourth inning all reached base highlighted by an RBI single from Anthony Garcia and a hot shot, two-run single from Sheldon Neuse.

Hermosillo continued to plague the Sounds in the sixth inning. The Bees’ right fielder blasted another two-run home run to retake the lead for Salt Lake. The Sounds responded in the seventh with a little league grand slam to claim the lead for the first time in the ball game. Nashville added a pair of insurance runs in the ninth inning. Dean Kiekhefer earned the victory for the Sounds and improved to 7-0 on the season.

The fourth and final game of the series between the Sounds and the Bees is scheduled for Monday night at Smith’s Ballpark. Right-hander Daniel Mengden (2-1, 2.91) starts for the Sounds against right-hander Luis Pena (3-3, 6.03) for the Bees. First pitch is scheduled for 8:05 p.m.

Post-Game Notes

• With Thursday night’s 9-5 win, the Sounds improved to 51-55 on the season. The win snapped a season-long four-game losing streak.
• Nashville won a game in which it trailed after six innings for just the sixth time this season. The Sounds are now 6-46 when trailing after six innings.
• Sheldon Neuse extended his career-long hitting streak to 14 games with a two-run single in the fourth inning. Neuse is batting .396 (21-for-53) during his 14-game streak.
• Ramón Laureano extended his hitting streak to nine games with a fifth inning single. Laureano is batting .514 (18-for-35) during his nine-game streak.
• Sounds starter Chris Bassitt threw a season-high 105 pitches.
• Jorge Mateo hit his 13^th triple of the season in the ninth inning. His 13 triples are tied with Rich Thompson for third most in a season for the Sounds. The franchise single-season record is 15, hit by Duane Walker in 1979.

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.

A multitude of travel difficulties and a third game in eight days made for tied legs for Nashville SC as it fell to previously winless Toronto FC II, 2-0.

90 in a Nutshell

Nashville appeared to have an early lead when Brandon Allen put one into the back of the net off a corner kick. Allen ended up being called offside and the goal was wiped off the board.

In the 34’ minute, Nashville keeper CJ Cochran came off his line to cut down the angle from a Toronto attack. When attempting to play the ball, Cochran committed a foul and Toronto was given a penalty. Luca Uccello converted and gave Toronto a 1-0 lead heading into the break.

Minutes into the second half, Toronto doubled its lead. A long throw in led to Matthew Srbely working his way across the top of the 18-yard box, around the Nashville defense. Srbely placed his shot perfectly into the side netting to add an insurance tally.

Nashville used its subs to bring more offensive players into the game, but the scoring woes continued as it was shutout for the fourth time in five July games.

Goals

34’ – Luca Uccello (Penalty)

48’ – Matthew Srbely (assisted by Shaan Hundal)

Watching the East

Even with the loss, other results went Nashville’s way, keeping Nashville in 7th in the Eastern Conference.

Travel Trouble

Nashville’s trip up to Rochester was wacky before it even began. Multiple flight issues due to poor weather conditions east of the Appalachians forced the match to be pushed from 5 pm CT to 7 pm CT. Some players arrived in the morning on Saturday, while other did not arrive until just hours before the match. The travel complications undoubtedly affected preparations for this match.

Allen on the Doorstep

Nashville forward Brandon Allen nearly changed the complexion of the match early on when he knocked home a feed off the head of Matt LaGrassa in the box off a set piece. However, it was quickly blown dead as Allen was just offside. He had another chance in the second half and looked to have scored, only to have it called off for offside on the feed from Ropapa Mensah.

Opportunity Didn’t Knock

Nashville was able to dominate possession, owning the ball for 53.8% of the match. However, the Grade-A scoring chances just didn’t percolate from it. The road team had eight shots in total with three of them coming on target. On the flip side, TFC II was able to capitalize on two mistakes in the Nashville defensive third and create two goals out of it.

July Woes

The month of July was not kind to Nashville SC. The club did secure a win over Atlanta United 2 and drew top-ranked Cincinnati FC 0-0, but the club scored just one goal in the process. The end of the month provided a steep challenge with three matches in eight days, plus a myriad of injuries testing the club’s depth.

Rest, Recover, Attack

Nashville will finally get a chance to rest its legs and heal up before the club travels to the Queen City to take on top-ranked FC Cincinnati at Nippert Stadium on Saturday night. The club shut out Cincy at Nissan Stadium in the first-ever meeting between the future MLS cities.

Up Next

Nashville SC will have a normal work week leading up to a big showdown at FC Cincinnati on August 4.

The Nashville Sounds built an early 3-0 lead but saw their losing streak reach four games with an 11-6 loss to the Salt Lake Bees at Smith’s Ballpark on Saturday night. All nine Sounds hitters reached base safely in the slugfest, but Salt Lake notched 18 hits and went in order just once against Sounds pitchers.
The Sounds jumped out to a 3-0 lead with a big first inning against Jose Suarez. Ramon Laureano and Boog Powell walked to start the game, and Sheldon Neuse moved his hitting streak to 13 games by smashing a two-run triple. Then Neuse scored on a sacrifice fly to deep center by Anthony Garcia. The lead didn’t last long, as the Bees scored one in the first, four in the second and three in the third to chase James Naile. The Sounds’ starter gave up eight runs on 12 hits in 2 1/3 innings in the loss.
Down 8-3, the Sounds fought back with single runs over the next three innings. Franklin Barreto doubled and scored on a grounder by Steve Lombardozzi in the fourth, and Laureano homered in the fifth. It was his fourth homer in five games on the road trip, and his eighth in July. Jorge Mateo doubled home a run in the sixth to pull the Sounds within 8-6, but the Bees responded. They scored once in the sixth against Ryan Dull and twice in the eighth against Danny Coulombe for the 11-6 final. Eduardo Paredes got the relief win for Salt Lake.
Game 3 of the four-game set is Sunday at 7:05 p.m. Chris Bassitt (3-4, 5.33) is scheduled to start for the Sounds, and Dylan Unsworth (5-0, 5.77) will counter for the Bees.
The 2018 season is the Sounds’ 41st 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.