Category: Sports

Kyle Turris recorded three points and the Nashville Predators came back to defeat the Arizona Coyotes, 3-2, on Thursday night at Gila River Arena. The result gives the Predators points in 13 consecutive road games to tie a franchise record, as well as points in 13 straight overall.

It’s been the same impressive story on the road as of late – Nashville has now trailied in five consecutive contests away from Bridgestone Arena, only to come back and win each one of them. And on Thursday in the desert, it was a former Coyotes forward in Turris who played the role of hero.

“We’re confident in our abilities,” Turris said. “We just stick with it, we don’t panic and we just find ways to win.”

“I thought our guys played well tonight,” Predators Head Coach Peter Laviolette said. “It was tough going on the road, traveling the distance, changing time zones, but I thought we played a pretty good game. It wasn’t overly exciting, but it was steady.”

Turris thought he had opened the scoring after he slammed home a rebound in the first period, but after an Arizona challenge, the play was ruled offside and the goal disallowed.

All three goals in the second period counted, however, and Christian Dvorak beat goaltender Pekka Rinne on a broken play to give the Coyotes a 1-0 lead. Less than two minutes later, Craig Smith found Ryan Ellis and the Predators defenseman potted his seventh of the season to even the score, but before the middle stanza was out, Oliver Ekman-Larsson gave Arizona the lead once more.

And then the Predators went to work. It only took Turris 22 seconds into the final frame to knot the game at two, and then minutes later, Turris won a faceoff straight to Kevin Fiala who wired his 23rd of the season past Darcy Kuemper to give Nashville its first lead of the evening.

From there, Rinne and the Predators shut down the remainder of the Coyotes chances as the Preds netminder collected his 39th victory of the season. Rinne has a personal 10-game win streak, just one off of his career high of 11 set in 2012 and is a remarkable 19-1-1 in his last 21 starts.

Just like their goaltender, the Predators continue to find ways to collect points, even in an arena they hadn’t emerged victorious from in over three calendar years.

“It’s a tough building to come play in,” Nashville forward Austin Watson said. “They are a team that’s been playing really well as of late, and there’s no secret to it. They work really hard, they forecheck, they don’t give up too many opportunities, so we just needed to stick with it, and we did a good job of getting a couple right away in the third.”

If At First You Don’t Succeed:

Kyle Turris appeared to give the Predators a 1-0 lead, only to see the call overturned because he was offside on the play.

He more than made up for it.

Originally drafted by the Coyotes, Turris finished the night with a goal and two assists against his first NHL club, giving him points in five of his last six outings and posting his first three-point game as a member of the Predators.

Not only that, but he and his linemates – Craig Smith and Kevin Fiala – combined for seven points on the night, a force seemingly each and every time they were on the ice.

“They were awesome,” Laviolette said of the trio. “From start to finish, I thought they were the best line out there. They were dangerous every time they were on the ice.”

“I’m just trying to do the right things,” Turris said. “Create opportunities and you get enough chances, eventually they’re going to go in. Kevin and [Smith] played great. [I was] just trying to give and go with them and get open.”

Sounds simple, right? Turris and his mates sure made it look that way at times, just another example of what the Predators are capable of when they’re playing at full speed. And they’ll give it another shot tomorrow in Colorado.

“We’re a confident group,” Turris said. “We know what we’re capable of when we’re playing to the level we want to play, and we just have to play like that for the whole game.”

Notes:

Prior to the game, the Predators announced forward Calle Jarnkrok will miss the remainder of the regular season with an upper-body injury.

Center Mike Fisher and defensemen Matt Irwin and Yannick Weber were healthy scratches on Thursday night.

The Predators are right back in action on Friday night in Denver as they complete their season series with Avalanche (at 8 p.m. CT) before concluding their three-game trip on Monday in Buffalo.

Pete Weber’s Postgame Report

Kendall Durard allowed only one run in 18 innings pitched and the Motlow offense broke loose as the Lady Bucks won three out of four games from TCCAA rival Cleveland State over the weekend at Lady Bucks Field on Motlow’s Moore County campus.

The Lady Bucks (7-11, 4-4) jumped up into the middle of the TCCAA standings with the series win, and will travel to Harriman this weekend for a four-game series against Roane State.

Cleveland stole the first game of the series, scoring two runs in the top of the seventh inning to win 3-2. After that it was all Motlow, and Durard, as the Lady Bucks won Friday’s second game 4-1. Durard was completely dominant on Saturday, tossing 10 shutout innings as Motlow won 9-0, 8-0 in a pair of five-inning, run-rule contests.

Samantha King got the start in game one for Motlow, pitching three innings and allowing one earned run. The Lady Bucks took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth with two outs when Madison Woodruff doubled and advanced to third on a passed ball. After Haley Hinshaw was hit by a pitch, King singled in Woodruff to tie the game 1-1 and Hinshaw gave Motlow the lead by scoring on another passed ball.

Breanna Owens relieved King in the circle in the fourth inning and gave up the two runs to Cleveland in the seventh. Durard made her first appearance in the seventh by getting the final three outs, and she pitched every inning the rest of the series for the Lady Bucks.

In Friday’s second game Durard scattered five hits and struck out four, allowing one walk and one earned run in the 4-1 win. The Lady Bucks scored one in the fourth inning, one in the fifth and two more in the sixth after the Lady Cougars had jumped in front 1-0 in the third inning.

Madison Hopkins opened the fourth with a single to center and scored on a Cleveland error. Miranda Cooksey singled with one out in the fifth and scored on a two-out single from Kylie Thackerson, giving the Lady Bucks a 2-1 lead. Motlow took advantage of an error and two passed balls to score its two runs in the sixth, and Durard made them stand up despite allowing a single and a walk in the seventh.

Durard was near flawless on Saturday, pitching all 10 innings and allowing just five hits and two walks with seven strikeouts. She got plenty of offensive support early in both games.

Motlow scored two runs in the first inning of game one, added one more in the second, and then put a six on the scoreboard in the third inning. Thackerson and Hinshaw had two hits each, and Cooksey slammed a home run while Thackerson added a three-run triple.

The offense continued its effectiveness in the series finale, with Motlow scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning, which was all Durard needed. In addition to her fine pitching, Durard added two doubles and drove in a pair of runs. Thackerson and Woodruff also had two hits each, and Owens drove in three runs with Hinshaw and Chelbie Gannon also driving in runs.

The Motlow Bucks launched 10 home runs, turning their home field in Lynchburg into ‘Launchburg’, and got a complete-game pitching performance from Huntland’s Kobe Foster as the Bucks won two out of three games from visiting TCCAA opponent Cleveland State over the weekend at the Driver Baseball Complex.

The Bucks (15-10, 3-3) pulled themselves into a fifth-place tie in the TCCAA standings with the series win. Conference play resumes this weekend when Motlow travels to Harriman to face Roane State.

The visiting Cougars jumped out to a 10-0 lead in Friday’s first game before Motlow battled back but lost 11-9. Foster (4-0) was magnificent on the mound in game two, scattering five hits and striking out seven in Motlow’s 10-3 win. Saturday’s nine-inning finale saw the Bucks slam five home runs and win 13-10.

Motlow continues to lead the nation in home runs, raising its season team total to 46. The Bucks have now scored 187 runs in their 25 games, ranking No. 17 in the nation, and have driven in 163 runs, tied for No. 17 in the NJCAA.

The weekend didn’t start well for the Bucks against the Cougars, who came into the series unbeaten in conference play. Defensive miscues played a significant role in digging the early hole, with the Bucks committing six errors in the game, but the Bucks refused to fold despite the deficit.

Michael Bruhin got his first start of the season and lasted four innings, allowing five earned runs and eight hits with three strikeouts. Chandler Hardiman replaced Bruhin in the fifth inning and shut the Cougars down the rest of the way, allowing just one hit with one strikeout.

The Bucks chipped away at the lead, notching five runs in the bottom of the seventh before falling short of completing the comeback. De’Andre Pitts had two solo home runs, while Colin Smith and Jake Chaney also homered. Pitts had three hits and three RBI, while Patrick Music and Troy Weatherly each had two hits.

Foster, who had been used as Motlow’s closer early in the year and had garnered three saves and three wins, got his first start and, despite giving up three runs in the second inning, never lost focus while waiting for his offense to come alive. It did, scoring eight runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to put the Cougars away.

The Bucks got help, with Cleveland’s defense committing four errors and its pitchers walking four Bucks, while Motlow only managed four hits in the game. Paul McIntosh hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning, and Pitts had two hits including a double.

Saturday’s series finale started with a bang for the Bucks as McIntosh and Weatherly hit solo home runs in the bottom of the first inning to stake starter Logan Walters with a 2-0 lead. Weatherly leads the nation with 12 home runs, while McIntosh is fourth with 10.

Walters allowed only five hits but walked seven batters in his 6.2 innings pitched. Tyler Harmon relieved him in the seventh, and the Cougars fought their way back to tie the score 7-7. But the Bucks were far from finished as Chaney hit a solo homer, Paul Rahman slammed a two-run shot, and Pitts hit a two-run double to put a six spot on the scoreboard in the bottom of the seventh. The Cougars didn’t fold, scoring three runs in the top of the ninth before Justin Parker came in to get the final two outs and seal the series win for the home team.

> CCMS Tennis split with Tullahoma – Girls won 7 to 0, Boys lost 4 to 2 – See the story HERE
> CCMS Baseball beat Harris – 9 to 5 – See the story HERE
> CCMS Softball lost to Harris – 3 to 2 – See the story HERE
> CHS Baseball fell to Columbia – 5 to 1 – See the story HERE
> WMS Baseball won at Huntland – 17 to 4 – See the story HERE
> CHS Softball lost to Warren Co – 3 to 1 – See the story HERE
> CHS Boys’ Soccer defeated Warren Co – 5 to 3 – See the story HERE
# WMS Tennis HOSTS Lewisburg – Postponed, Makeup TBD

Opening their season on Tuesday night, the Coffee County Red Raider soccer team kicked off the season at home.  Playing host to non-district rival Warren County, Coffee County wanted to avenge a scrimmage loss to the Pioneers from earlier in the month.  Three 2^nd half goals by the Red Raiders lifted Coffee County to the 5 to 3 win.

Warren County got on the board first in the 8^th minute as they grabbed an early 1 to 0 lead.  The Raiders answered in the 15^th minute as Leo Botello drilled a header past the Pioneer keeper off a feed from Tyler Walker.  Paco Barrera made it 2 to 1 with a goal in the 24^th minute as Coffee County owned a 2 to 1 lead at the half.

In the second half, Warren County tied the match with a goal in the 46^th minute.  Cameron Kistler delivered a corner kick to the front of the goal in the 57^th minute. The ball was deflected past the keeper to put Coffee County on top for good.  Clinton Ferrell added a goal in the 58^th minute and Felix Salinas posted a tally in the 68^th minute to close out the scoring for the Raiders.  Warren County got their 3^rd goal in the 61^st minute.

The Red Raiders travel to Lewisburg on Thursday to take on Marshall County.  That non-district match will begin with a 6 PM kickoff.

The red hot Westwood baseball team traveled to Huntland on Tuesday for a conference rematch.  Coming off a 5 to 2 win on Monday night in Manchester, the Rockets were looking to stay perfect in conference play.  Playing their first road game of the year, Westwood ran their record to 5 and 0 on the year with a 17 to 4 win over the Hornets.

The Rockets jumped out to an 11 to 0 lead heading into the bottom of the 3^rd inning.  Four hits and a walk helped Westwood get 4 runs in the first inning.  After notching a single run in the 2^nd, the Rockets exploded for 6 runs in the 3^rd to put the game out of reach.  The win is the 3^rd mercy rule win of the year for Westwood.

Brady Nugent swung the big stick for the Rockets from the lead-off spot.  Nugent had 4 hits, a walk and scored 4 runs.  Trent Thompson was 3 for 3 with a walk and 3 runs scored.   Luke Beachboard finished the game with 2 hits, 2 walks and 3 runs scored.  Conner Smith started on the mound for Westwood and got the win.

Westwood will return home to Looney Riddle Field on Tuesday when they welcome conference foe Moore County.   First pitch is scheduled for 5 PM at Fred Deadman Park.

The Coffee Middle School baseball team traveled to Shelbyville to take on Harris.  Entering the game with a record of 3 and 1 in the conference, the Raiders were looking to stay near the top of the conference standings.  A late Red Raider rally propelled the Raiders to a 9 to 5 win.

Trailing 4 to 2 entering the 4^th inning, Coffee County put 3 runs on the scoreboard in the 4^th inning and put the game on ice with 3 more in the 7^th inning.  The Raiders banged out 11 hits in the conference win.  After a rough start on the mound, John McKelvey pitched the Raiders to the win as he struck out 6 in 5 and 1/3 innings of work.

Jacob Sherrill led the Raiders offensively as he had 2 hits, 2 runs scored and 2 RBI to lead the Red and Black.  Kyler Terry had 2 walks, 2 singles and scored once for Coffee Middle.  Dayne Crosslin and Connor Shemwell each added a pair of singles.  The win improves the Raiders to 4 and 2 overall and 4 and 1 in conference play.

The Red Raiders will play host to Harris on Thursday in game #2 of the season series.  This is a makeup of Monday’s game and will begin at 5:30 PM.

The Red Raider and Lady Raider tennis teams of Coffee County Middle School traveled to Tullahoma on Tuesday.  The experienced Lady Raider squad captured a 5 to 0 victory.  The Red Raiders dropped their match 4 to 2.

In the girls’ matches, Coffee Middle made short work of the Lady Cats.  Jayda Wright and Anna Amado captured 6 to 0 singles wins while the doubles team of Paige Meadows and Clare Rondolet also blanked the Tullahoma doubles team 6 to 0.  Marley Perry captured a win in singles play by a 6 to 1 score while Lucy Riddle won her singles match 6 to 2.

The Red Raiders struggled in the top matches but did get a pair of singles wins.  Playing at the 4 position, Jayden Brown got a 6 to 2 win.  Playing in the 6^th seed match, Logan Hale got a 6 to 1 win.  The Cats and Raiders did not play any doubles matches.

The Raider netters travel to Lewisburg on Friday.  That match will begin 4:30 PM.

Coffee County CHS baseball team traveled to Columbia on Tuesday for game #2 of their season series.  Coming off a 7 to 2 win on Monday, the Red Raiders were looking for a season sweep of the Lions.   Surrendering three unearned runs, the Red Raiders fell by a final score of 5 to 1.

The Red Raiders jumped out on top in the 1^st inning with a run as 3 straight singles with 2 outs staked Coffee County to a 1 to 0 lead.  A walk and a pair of singles in the bottom of the first inning put Columbia on top for good. Coffee County was held to 4 hits on the game but it was 2 errors and 2 passed balls that allowed Columbia to add their final 3 runs of the game.

Coffee County was led in hitting by Skylar Bratcher, Hayden Skipper, Nathanial Tate and Jacob Langham who each had a single.  Bratcher had the lone RBI for the Raiders.  Skipper and Garrett Davis each walked twice for Coffee County.  Skipper took the loss on the mound striking out 5 in 4 and 2/3 innings of work.

The Red Raiders will return home on Thursday when they welcome Marshall County to Powers Field for a non-conference game.  That game will get underway at 5 PM.  Thunder Radio will be on hand to bring you the broadcast of the game.  Lucky Knott will be on the call with the pregame show beginning at 4:45.