Category: Sports

Coffee County 17U Baseball Drops Grundy County in Monday Night Game

The Coffee County 17U Red Raider baseball team hit the diamond at home on Monday playing host to Grundy County in a 9 inning game.  After a rocky start, the Red Raiders rallied for a 9 run 4th inning to roll to a 16 to 9 win.

Trailing 7 to 5 entering the bottom of the 4th inning, Coffee County got 3 hits, 5 walks and 3 Grundy County errors to plate 9 runs.  Owen Neel, who came in to pitch in the 2nd inning, got the win.  At the plate, Neel was 4 for 6 with a double, a triple and a pair of singles.  Neel finished with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored.  Griffin Meeker added a single, a double, a pair of walks, an RBI and 3 runs scored.

The Red Raiders will hit the road on Tuesday as they travel to McMinnville to take on Warren County.  First pitch is set for 5 PM.  Coffee County will travel to Shelbyville on Thursday for another 5 PM doubleheader.  The 15U team will play host to Tullahoma on Thursday night at Powers Field.  That doubleheader will get underway at 5 PM.

Lady Raider Basketball Off to a Red Hot Start

Abby Morgan of CHS basketball[File photo]

The Coffee County Lady Raider basketball team has opened up the summer camp season on a red hot start.  The Lady Raiders played 3 games at Shelbyville on Sunday afternoon, winning all 3.  Coffee County opened play in a 3 day team camp on Monday with a pair of wins.

On Sunday, the Lady Raiders captured wins over Siegel, Cane Ridge and Station Camp.  That strong performance set the tone for a solid first day in the Ravenwood Tournament which began on Monday.  Coffee County opened up on Monday morning with a win over Father Ryan.  They followed that up with a win over Franklin High School.  In the game against Franklin, Abby Morgan hit ten 3 point baskets.

The Lady Raiders return to Ravenwood on Tuesday for a pair of games.  Coffee County will open up against Antioch at 10 AM, followed by a noon game with Independence.  The Lady Raiders will close out the tournament with bracket play on Wednesday.

Red Raider Basketball Opens Summer Season With Splits

The Red Raider basketball team opened up summer camp play on Monday in Sparta.  The Red Raider varsity and junior varsity teams each had a pair of games.  The varsity captured a win over Jackson County before losing to Upperman by 10.  The junior varsity drilled Jackson County by 40 points before falling to Warren County.

Coach Micah Williams felt positive about his team’s performance.  Fighting through injuries and graduation losses, Coffee County is looking to fill numerous positions.  “We had a lot of new guys in new positions” said Williams.

Coffee County returns to Sparta on Tuesday for 5 more games as the varsity plays a triple header and JV team will play a pair of games.  The Red Raiders will travel to Murfreesboro for the 4 day MTSU camp on Monday, June 11th thru Thursday, June 14th.  Coffee County will host Cannon County and Moore County on June 22nd at the Joe Frank Patch Memorial Gym.

Sounds Begin Seven-Game Homestand Tuesday

The Nashville Sounds Baseball Club returns to First Tennessee Park for a seven-game homestand set to begin on Tuesday, June 5.

The Sounds welcome the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Reno Aces, for a three-game series from June 5-7. Following the Aces, the Sounds welcome the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, the Tacoma Rainiers, for a four-game set from June 8-11.

Below is a preview for each game of the homestand:

Tuesday, June 5 vs. Reno – 7:05 p.m.

  • Gates open at 6:00 p.m.
  • Takeover Tuesday with a special guest, the winner of season 7 of “The Voice”, Craig Wayne Boyd presented by Pepsi. Boyd will throw out the ceremonial first pitch, sing the National Anthem, and take part in a Twitter Q&A.

Wednesday, June 6 vs. Reno – 7:05 p.m.

  • Gates open at 6:00 p.m.
  • Wear It Wednesday BJ Boyd T-Shirt Giveaway to the first 2,000 fans – presented by 96.3 JACK FM.

Thursday, June 7 vs. Reno – 7:05 p.m.

  • Gates open at 6:00 p.m.
  • Tennessee Titans first round draft pick Rashaan Evans will throw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the game.
  • 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, June 8 vs. Tacoma – 7:05 p.m.

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

Saturday, June 9 vs. Tacoma – 7:05 p.m.

  • Gates open at 6:00 p.m.
  • The Sounds celebrate CMA Week with a commemorative bobblehead giveaway presented by First Tennessee. The first 2,000 fans will receive a Country Legends-themed bobblehead featuring Johnny Cash, George Jones, Reba McEntire, and Dolly Parton.
  • Enjoy Saturday at the Park with visits to The Band Box and our Family Fun Zone in the right field corner.

Sunday, June 10 vs. Tacoma – 6:15 p.m.

  • Gates open at 5:15 p.m.
  • Sounds Bucket Hat Giveaway to the first 1,000 fans.
  • Hyundai pre-game autograph session with select Sounds players from 5:15 to 5:30 p.m.
  • Youth Sports Day – Discounted group tickets with a pre-game parade on the field – advance purchase required by calling 615-690-HITS.
  • 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, June 11 vs. Tacoma – 7:05 p.m.

  • Gates open at 5:30 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.
  • Faith and Family Worship Night presented by Trevecca University – Join the Sounds for a night of worship and baseball with a player testimony. Long Hollow Wave and Caitie Hurst perform a pre-game concert at 5:45 near the Family Fun Zone.
  • The Sounds wear their black “Music City” jerseys to represent Nashville’s rich musical heritage.

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’ 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.

CHS Summer Baseball Teams are in Full Swing

Hayden Hullett delivers a pitch against Community on Saturday

The Coffee County CHS baseball summer program was in action on Saturday in a pair of tournaments.  The 17 and under(17U) team spilt a pair of games in Winchester.  The 15 and under(15U) team rallied from a deficit to capture a win over Community.

In Tullahoma, the 15U team saw Community get single runs in the first 2 innings before a Hayden Hullett sacrifice fly plated Jacob Sherrill who led off the 3rd inning with a double.  Coffee County added 3 runs in the top of the 4th with the big hit coming on a Nick Watkins 2 RBI single to forge a 4 to 3 lead.  The Red Raiders erupted for 6 runs in the 5th inning behind 6 hits.  Remington Banks and Wyatt Nugent each rapped RBI triples in the frame to power Coffee County to the 10 to 3 win.  Hullett started on the mound and got the win.  Nugent came on in relief to pitch 2 innings of scoreless ball.  Braxton White had 2 walks and a 2 RBI single while Sherrill and Trey Rogers each had a double.

The 17U team got a win over Franklin County and lost to Marshall County on Saturday.  On Sunday, the 15U lost a game to Tullahoma and tied Shelbyville 2 to 2.  Hullett and Nugent scored the 2 runs for the Raiders against Shelbyville.

Despite not having much practice time, Coach David Martin was impressed with the play of the 15U team.  He looks forward to getting more practice time in with both of his teams and a seeing the a lot of younger players get some game experience.  The 17U team will be in action on Monday night at Powers Field.  The Red Raiders will play host to Shelbyville.  First pitch is set for 5 PM and the public is encouraged to attend.

Coffee County Red Raider Basketball Summer Update

The Coffee County CHS basketball team will open up summer camp action on Monday as they travel to Sparta.  Both the varsity and junior varsity teams will be in action in the 2 day camp at White County.  The Red Raiders will travel to Murfreesboro for the 4 day MTSU camp on Monday, June 11th thru Thursday, June 14th.  Coffee County will host Cannon County and Moore County on June 22nd at the Joe Frank Patch Memorial Gym.

The Coffee County Red Raider basketball will be hosting a 7 on 7 Flag Football Tournament on June 16th at Carden-Jarrell Field.  Signups are available by contacting head coach Micah Williams at williamsm@k12coffee.net .  The tournament is open to teams of players ages 18 and up.  Team size can be 7 to 10 players and the cost is $350 per team.  Signups will end on June 10th.

Prep Tryout Information – Updated 6/4/18

Tryouts for local prep teams continue this week.  As always, Thunder Radio wants to pass along all the tryout information we have received for the local prep teams.  Students should be prepared to participate in all the tryout sessions unless otherwise noted.  Student/athletes need to remember to bring along with them the signed and completed TSSAA Physical and Parental Consent forms with them when they arrive. That form can be downloaded at:

Westwood Middle School football(summer weight training and conditioning)
Dates – Monday, June 4th thru Thursday, June 8th
Times – 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM
Location – Westwood Middle School weight room
NOTE – Conditioning and weights will continue EVERY Monday thru Thursday until Dead Period begins. Parents are urged to check the Westwood Middle School website for for dates, times, paperwork, and directions to future events
Coach – Chad Dyer
Contact – dyerc2@k12mcs.net

Coffee County Middle School AND Coffee County CHS cross country
Date – Monday, June 4th
Time – 8:00 AM
Location – Manchester Rec Center/Rotary Park Amphitheater
Coach – Nathan Wanuch
Contact – wanuchn@k12coffee.net

Coffee County Middle School baseball
Dates – Tuesday, June 5th(makeup date)
Times – 5:00 PM
Location – CCMS Baseball Field
Coach – Brock Freeze
Contact – freezeb@k12coffee.net

Coffee County Middle School football
Date – June 5th (Parent Meeting)
Time – 5:00 PM
Location – CCMS Football Fieldhouse
Coach – Bryan Morgan
Contact – morganbryan@k12coffee.net

Coffee County Middle School softball
Dates – Monday, June 11th and Tuesday June 12th
Times – 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM
Location – CCMS softball field
Coach – Lana Creek
Contact – creekl@k12coffee.net

Coffee County CHS football
No tryouts
Players should attend all summer workouts.
Contact Coach Ryan Sulkowski for workout information
Email – sulkowskir@k12coffee.net

Coffee County CHS baseball
Date – Saturday, July 28th
Time – Noon to 3:00 PM for ALL grade levels
Location – Powers Field
Coach – David Martin
Contact – martind@k12coffee.net

Honky Tonks Stun Dance Halls in Extras

In his first game back from Oakland, Franklin Barreto collected a season-high four hits to help the Nashville Honky Tonks come from behind to defeat the Round Rock Dance Halls 3-2 in 10 innings.

With the threat of a suspended game due to a travel curfew looming and the game knotted at two runs apiece in the bottom of the ninth inning, Honky Tonks reliever Dean Kiekhefer made quick work of the Dance Halls to give Nashville one more chance to win the game. Anthony Garcia came up big for the Honky Tonks with a two-out RBI single in the 10th inning to score Nick Martini who began the frame at second base. Steve Lombardozzi came on to pinch run for Garcia who had advanced to second base on the throw and was thrown out at home trying add an insurance run on Barreto’s single to end the inning.

Raul Alcantara then closed the game out by getting Tommy Joseph to ground out on the 14th pitch of the at-bat with runners on first and second.

The Honky Tonks pieced together 10 innings on the mound via the bullpen. Bobby Wahl, the regular closer for Nashville started for the first time in four years. He tossed two shutout innings while striking out four batters and walking two. Carlos Ramirez allowed both of Round Rock’s runs in his two innings, J.B. Wendelken hurled three scoreless frames, Kiekhefer tallied two innings, and Alcantara finished it out in the 10th inning.

Nashville’s offense did not have trouble getting runners on base but struggled to bring them around to score on its own accord on the afternoon, so Barreto took matters in to his own hands. With two outs in the eighth inning Barreto laced a line drive home run down the left field line to tie the game at two runs apiece.

The game was scoreless through three innings thanks to some savvy pitching from Austin Bibens-Dirkx for Round Rock and Wahl and Ramirez for Nashville. The Honky Tonks broke the stalemate in the fourth inning. Franklin Barreto crushed a double off the left centerfield wall to begin a two-out rally. BJ Boyd then ripped a line drive back off Bibens-Dirkx who airmailed the throw to first base allowing Barreto to scamper home.

The lead was short-lived as the Dance Halls turned their 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead in the home half of the fourth inning. With two outs and runners on the corners, Luis Mendez tripled just inside fair territory in the right field corner to put Round Rock in front.

Nashville is now 4-1 in extra-inning games this season. The victory helped the Honky Tonks avoid going under .500 for the first time since May 10 when they were 16-17.

The Battle for the Boot will resume June 21-24 in Nashville. The Honky Tonks will need to win three of the four games in the series to claim the Boot Trophy.

Monday is a league-wide off day. Nashville returns home to First Tennessee Park as the Sounds and will begin a seven-game homestand on Tuesday against the Reno Aces and Tacoma Rainiers. Neither the Sounds nor the Aces have announced a starting pitcher for Tuesday’s game. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Post-Game Notes

  • With today’s 3-2 win, Nashville improved to 28-27 on the season.
  • Nick Martini extended his consecutive on-base streak to 42 games when he singled to lead off the game. Martini’s streak is the longest by a Nashville player in the Pacific Coast League era. It’s the longest active streak in the Pacific Coast League. Since April 14, Martini has reached safely in every game he has played in.
  • With his single to lead off the game, Martini has now set a new career-high with an 11-game hit streak. He collected a hit to lead off the game in all five games in Round Rock.
  • Franklin Barreto went 4-for-5 with two runs a double, a home run and an RBI today. He is now batting .474 (27-for-57) with 12 runs, three doubles, two triples, four home runs, 12 RBI, and five stolen bases in 13 career games against Round Rock.
  • With Barreto’s eighth inning home run, Nashville has now homered in four straight games, their second-longest streak of the season behind a six-game stretch from May 13-19.
  • Nashville is now 4-1 in extra-inning games this season.

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.

Nashville SC Grabs 3-1 Win over Penn FC on Saturday

Nashville SC bagged another home win at First Tennessee Park as it beat Penn FC on Saturday night 3-1. Brandon Allen, Lebo Moloto and Alan Winn all scored for the home team.  Saturday’s victory pushed Nashville SC’s unbeaten run to six games inside of the league and eight games in all competitions.

Saturday’s 3-1 win over Penn FC in front of a crowd of 8,724 at First Tennessee Park showed how Nashville SC is one of the best teams in the USL after 11 games.

The differences between wins and draws In the first two months of the season relied upon either Ropapa Mensah or Lebo Moloto to create and score. If the pair were stymied, Nashville SC left points on the pitch.

The midseason additions of forward Brandon Allen and winger Ish Jome have added much-needed ability and depth to Nashville’s attacking options. Nashville’s goal, with Jome on the assist of Allen’s goal, created the kind of play that coach Gary Smith envisioned when Nashville acquired the two.

“Just being in the right place at the right time is a goal scorer’s instinct,” Allen said. “The players around me help me get into the right place, and I’m really happy to be here.”

Nashville has played two league games at home since April 7 and has earned results against three of the top four teams in the Eastern Conference. With four straight home games on the horizon after a June 9 match in Tampa, Nashville has a real opportunity to scale up the standings in comfortable surroundings and position themselves for a second-half run toward home playoff soccer.

Brandon Allen was the best player on the field Saturday. His positioning led to the first goal as he made a precise run to the far post, which was one of many attacking runs to keep Penn FC on the back foot. Smith has choices to make, with Allen, Moloto, Mensah, Jome and Alan Winn all available for spots in the starting lineup.

Nashville is 3-0-0 in First Tennessee Park and 3-0-1 at home overall with seven goals scored to only one allowed.

QUICK NOTES

– Nashville SC now sits 6th in the USL Eastern Conference with 19 pts. The team also have a game in hand on three of the five teams ahead it in the standings.

– Brandon Allen is now tied for the team lead in goals with 3 despite appearing in just four games with three starts. He has scored in every start.

– Keeper Matt Pickens and the Nashville defense has allowed the fewest goals this season in the USL (7), but just three in the five game unbeaten run it is on.

– Nashville SC has scored multiple goals in every USL match this season at First Tennessee Park. Moloto’s goal is his third of the season tying him with Allen and Ropapa Mensah for the team lead.

Honky Tonks Come Up Short Again in Round Rock

For the second night in a row, the Nashville Honky Tonks got home runs from Ramon Laureano and Jake Smolinski and rallied late, only to fall 6-5 against the Round Rock Dance Halls on Saturday night at Dell Diamond. The Honky Tonks have lost three of the first four in the series and the Battle for the Boot and are back to .500 on the season at 27-27.

The Honky Tonks never led in the game but fought back from a 5-0 deficit. Former Nashville pitcher Yovani Gallardo gave up just one run over seven innings against his old team. Smolinski grounded out in the sixth to score Nick Martini to get Nashville on the board. Then Adrian Sampson replaced Gallardo in the seventh and retired his first two batters before the Honky Tonks began their surge. The next six hitters in a row reached base in the four-run frame. Laureano smashed a two-run homer, and Smolinski made it back-to-back homers with a solo shot to the upper deck. Smolinski now has eight home runs in 17 career games at Dell Diamond. BJ Boyd later made it a one-run game at 6-5 with an RBI single off Brandon Mann, but former Nashville reliever R.J. Alvarez stopped the rally with a strikeout of Sheldon Neuse and then pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to end it.

Chris Bassitt (2-3) took the loss for the Honky Tonks. He gave up two runs in the first and third innings and one more in the fourth, surrendering five runs – four earned – on five hits over four frames in the defeat. Liam Hendriks, pitching on major league rehab assignment for Oakland, gave up Round Rock’s other run on a homer by Tommy Joseph in the seventh.

Nick Martini went 3-for-5 for Nashville, moving his consecutive games on base streak to 41 and his hitting streak to 10, which matches a career-high. Gallardo (2-1) got the win for the Dance Halls, and Alvarez notched his 11th save.

The finale of the five-game series is scheduled for Sunday afternoon in Round Rock. The Sounds starter is TBD, and right-hander Austin Bibens-Dirkx (2-3, 3.72). First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. Then the Sounds are off on Monday before beginning a seven-game homestand at First Tennessee Park on Tuesday.

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.