Category: Sports

Filip Forsberg tied it, Roman Josi finished it.

Two goals in the third period led to a comeback win for the Nashville Predators as they defeated the Anaheim Ducks by a 2-1 final in Game Three to take a 2-1 series lead in the Western Conference Final. The victory stretches Nashville’s postseason win streak at Bridgestone Arena to 10 games, with the Preds yet to lose consecutive contests in these playoffs.

Entering into the third period trailing 1-0, Nashville put on one of their most impressive pushes of these playoffs. Four pucks entered the Anaheim net in the final frame, and although only two of them counted, that was all the Preds needed in their first conference final home game in club history.

“We just had to stick with it, honestly, and just keep pushing,” Preds Captain Mike Fisher said. “We felt good about our game the whole game. We just couldn’t find a goal the first couple periods, but we just kept coming and found a way on the power play.”

The Predators had their chances through the first two periods of Game Three, outshooting Anaheim 28-13, but it was the Ducks who had a 1-0 lead. After a scoreless first, Corey Perry tallied on the power play, his third of the playoffs, for a one-goal advantage after 40 minutes.

“You could sense going into that third period…the guys were saying the right things,” Nashville Head Coach Peter Laviolette said. “They were confident. I think they believed that they were playing a decent game, and if we just stayed with it that we would eventually get one to drop and then see where it goes from there.”

It worked.

In the third period, the Predators kept coming, and it wasn’t long before they broke through. After a scramble in front, Forsberg fired a shot past John Gibson to even the score and send the Nashville crowd into their typical, ear-spitting postseason levels. The Predators then followed it up with two more pucks past Gibson, but both instances were called back due to goaltender interference, keeping the score even at 1-1.

No matter, however, as the Predators got a late power-play opportunity, and after going 0-for-3 with the man advantage to that point, it was Josi who wired a shot into the yawning cage with less than three minutes remaining to give the home team the only lead they needed.

“I think there’s confidence in our group,” Laviolette said. “I think the guys – like I said, they believed going into the game that they could be successful even though it’s coming off a loss, a hard-fought loss in Anaheim in Game Two. I think there was belief going into the third period that we could be successful as well.”

And in the first conference final game in Bridgestone Arena’s history, the Predators gave their faithful something to cheer about.

“Being at home here is an advantage for us because of the environment and the atmosphere that the fans bring,” Laviolette said. “So it was a good place to be and a good spot to be in. If you need to score a goal and you need to have a big period, it’s a good spot to do it in this building.”

“I’ve never been to a college football game, but I feel like when you watch it on TV, everyone is standing. They have their chants, they’re cheering the entire game; I think that’s the closest thing you can relate [a Predators home game] to,” defenseman Ryan Ellis said. “Every TV timeout, every hit, everything – the fans cheer everything. The fans are incredible. We thrive off their energy.”

“We Just Didn’t Give Up”

It looked like it may have been shaping up to be one of those games – run into a hot goaltender, opposition gets just one by, and an opportunity goes by the wayside.

The Predators weren’t interested in following that script in Game Three of the Western Conference Final.

Trailing 1-0 entering the third period, Nashville only needed one for some life, and that’s exactly what they got from Filip Forsberg, who potted his third in as many games at 3:54 of the frame to get the building rocking.

And after not one, but two more Nashville tallies were disallowed due to goaltender interference, a late man advantage of their own led to the exclamation point from Josi.

“I just feel like we were getting into our game,” forward James Neal said of the third period. “We were coming in waves and pushing in there. You could feel it – the energy in the building. We were getting good looks and we knew one was going to come.”

“Sometimes in games like that, you get frustrated,” Fisher said. “You’re pressing, and a goaltender is good. The key is to just stick with it and believe that you’re going to get one at some point if you keep going. That’s what we did. We just didn’t give up.”

There’s just been something about this team during their current run – never quite out of it, always managing to find an answer when it matters most. And while the Preds know their tilt with the Ducks has a few more chapters before it’s all over, the third installment will go down as one of the greatest moments in Nashville sports history – at least for now.

“You always try to establish your home building as a tough place to play and I think we’ve been doing that,” goaltender Pekka Rinne said. “Even in the regular season, we like to play at home, but during these playoffs, you don’t want to have any regrets. You don’t want to look back at these home games as a missed chance. We’ve been doing a really good job.”

Notes:

With an assist on Filip Forsberg’s goal, Ryan Ellis recorded his 10th point of the playoffs to set a franchise record for defensemen in a single postseason.

Harry Zolnierczyk entered the lineup on Tuesday in favor of Vernon Fiddler.

Game Four of the Western Conference Final is set for Thursday night at Bridgestone Arena before the Preds head back to Anaheim for Game Five on Saturday.

Pete Weber’s Postgame Report

Dansby Swanson hit the go-ahead homer in the seventh and Matt Kemp had yet another big day at the plate with four RBIs as the Braves came away with a 9-5 victory over the Blue Jays on Tuesday at Rogers Centre.

Swanson broke a 5-5 tie with a solo shot off Blue Jays reliever Danny Barnes. It was Swanson’s third home run of the year and just the third earned run that Barnes has allowed in 14 innings this season. The deep shot to center allowed Atlanta to win both games in the first part of this home-and-home series, and the Braves have now won four of their last five.
“It felt great,” Swanson said after notching his second straight two-hit game and extending his hitting streak to eight games. “It was one of those things where I hit it so well that you kind of don’t even feel it. You just kind of catch it on the sweet spot. It was good, especially at that point in the game where they had just come back.”
According to Statcast™, Swanson’s home run traveled a projected 405 feet and left his bat at 104 mph with a launch angle of 27 degrees. Swanson has reached base at least once in 18 of his last 19. Kemp had a two-run single in the first and a two-run double in a three-run ninth, giving him six hits for the set — three of them doubles. Freddie Freeman added his 14th home run of the season with a two-run shot in the fifth.
“Everybody in the lineup is swinging the bat pretty well at the moment,” said Kemp, who has produced a 1.020 OPS while hitting safely in 15 of his past 16 games. “It’s just big to get that timely hit and get those extra runs we need to close out games.”
Neither starting pitcher factored into the decision. Atlanta lefty Jaime Garcia retired the first nine batters he faced, but proceeded to allow four runs on three hits and four walks over 5 1/3 innings. Blue Jays righty Marco Estrada allowed five runs on eight hits while striking out five over six. It was the third time in nine starts this season that Estrada surrendered more than two earned runs.
Toronto center fielder Kevin Pillar had yet another productive day at the plate. He finished 2-for-5 with a pair of runs scored and his sixth home run of the season, and at the end of the game, Pillar was leading the American League with 51 hits. Second baseman Devon Travis also chipped in with a pair of doubles and two RBIs as he continues to overcome what had been a sluggish start to the season.
“Really, the last two nights we haven’t been able to shut down their offense, and they’ve got a good one,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. “Those guys in the middle, we had a tough time with them.”
Toronto entered the bottom of the eighth trailing by a run, but quickly sparked a rally as each of the first two batters reached base. The Blue Jays then made a rather curious decision in asking Travis to lay down a sacrifice bunt, even though he had two doubles earlier in the game, six over his last three and 12 this month. Travis could not get the bunt down on either of his first two attempts and then struck out swinging on an 87-mph slider from Arodys Vizcaino that was just outside the zone.
To make matters worse for Toronto, Darwin Barney hit a liner to second baseman Brandon Phillips that resulted in a double play in the next at-bat to end the inning. Atlanta then put the game out of reach with the three-run ninth.
“I wouldn’t say I was surprised,” Travis said when asked about receiving the bunt sign. “Guys on first and second, no outs, down a run, eighth inning. I have to do my job.”
Swanson has come to respect Phillips’ ability to come up with big plays.
“He’s always in the right place at the right time,” Swanson said. “It’s kind of amazing, really. He just has a great feel for the game. He kind of scared me, because when he caught it, he flipped a little changeup at me, sort of on purpose, and I was [straining] to catch it.”
The escape artist: Garcia had his back against the wall in the fourth inning. The Blue Jays had put two runs across the board on a double by Travis, and they were threatening to score more with runners on second and third and two outs. A base hit likely would have put Toronto in front, but Garcia got Ezequiel Carrera to strike out swinging at a 90-mph fastball in the lower half of the zone.
That allowed the Braves to carry a 3-2 lead into the fifth when Freeman unloaded a two-run homer to center field. According to Statcast™, Freeman’s second blast in as many days traveled a projected 397 feet and left his bat at 107 mph.
Toronto’s Justin Smoak drew three walks in the same game for the first time since Aug. 29, 2015. He also had multiple walks in back-to-back games for the first time since May 26-27, 2014.
Mike Foltynewicz will be on the mound when Atlanta and Toronto begin a two-game series at SunTrust Park on Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. CT. Foltynewicz has impressed in four of his past five starts, but during his most recent home outing, he allowed the Cardinals seven runs over four innings.

The power surge continued for the Nashville Sounds as they belted three home runs on the way to an 11-6 win over the Fresno Grizzlies at Chukchansi Park Tuesday night.

Nashville got homers from Matt Chapman, Matt Olson, and Jaycob Brugman in the blowout win. Brugman led the offensive charge with four of Nashville’s 16 hits.

Chapman wasted little time getting the scoring started when he launched his sixth homer of the season off the scoreboard in the second inning. The solo smash was part of a two-run frame as Brugman later added a run-scoring base knock.

After Fresno got a run back in the bottom half on Colin Moran’s solo homer off Jharel Cotton, the offense went back to work.

The Sounds sent 12 to the plate in the fourth inning and matched a season-high seven runs in a single inning. Eight of the first nine batters reached safely in the inning. Ryan LaMarre and Brugman knocked in runs before Olson blasted a three-run homer to give the Sounds an 8-1 lead.

For Olson, it was his ninth of the season, all of which have come over the last 23 games. The nine homers over that span are tied for the most in the Pacific Coast League.

The inning was finished as Renato Nuñez doubled and Joey Wendle knocked him to give the Sounds a 9-1 lead into the bottom of the fourth.

Fresno pulled to within five when Tyler White drilled a three-run homer to make it a 9-4 game in the home half of the inning.

Brugman’s homer in the fifth capped the scoring for Nashville on the night. His two-run blast gave the Sounds a comfortable 11-4 lead.

It was plenty of offense for Cotton and the rest of the pitching staff. The right-hander worked five innings and picked up the win. He departed prior to the sixth in favor of rehabbing John Axford who tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings with three strikeouts.

Game three of the series is set for Wednesday afternoon at Chukchansi Park. Right-hander Daniel Gossett (1-2, 4.15) starts for Nashville against right-hander David Paulino (0-0, 0.00) for Fresno. First pitch is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. (CST).

Kaylee Skipper of CHS Softball(file photo)

Eight hits and a pair of Smyrna errors fed a 9 run 2^nd inning for Coffee County as the Lady Raiders beat the Lady Bulldogs 11 to 0 on Monday night in the Region 4AAA semifinals in Smyrna.  In a game you heard here on Thunder Radio, the Lady Raiders pounded out 13 hits including 5 doubles and a triple to earn a Region Finals bid on Wednesday in Lawrenceburg against Lawrence County.  Coffee County pitcher Kaylee Skipper tossed a 3 hit shutout as she notched 4 strikeouts in a game shortened to 5 innings due to the mercy rule.

After lining into a double play to end the first inning, Coffee County sent 14 batters to the plate in the top of the 2^nd inning.  Back to back doubles from Tori Bell and Sarah West to lead off the inning set the stage for the Raider rout.  Ashley Evans added a 2 RBI double and Haley Hinshaw ripped a 2 RBI triple in the frame.  West finished the inning with a single, a double and 2 RBI.

Leading 9 to 0 entering the 5^th, West led off the inning with her 2^nd double before Skipper drove her in with a single and Lauren Tomberlin hit an RBI double to give Coffee County the huge win.  Skipper finished the game with 2 singles and 2 RBI to go with her stellar pitching line to earn the Crazy Daisies Player of the Game honor.  West was 3 for 3 with 5 total bases and 2 RBI.  Evans and Tomberlin each finished with a double and a single.  Katie Rutledge finished with 2 singles and 2 RBI.

Here is Lucky Knott’s call of both of Skipper’s RBI

Coffee County will now face Lawrence County in the Region 4AAA finals in Lawrenceburg on Wednesday night at 7 PM.  This will be the 5^th meeting of the year between these 2 teams and the 4^th in 16 days.  Thunder Radio will be on hand to bring you all the action.  Lucky Knott will be on the call as we begin live coverage with the pregame show at 6:50.

Download the broadcast at: http://www.thunder1320.com/downloads/

Grey Riddle of CHS tennis

The Coffee County Red Raider tennis team saw arguably their best season in history come to a close on Monday in the Region 4AAA singles/doubles tournament in Murfreesboro.  The Raider netters, who qualified a singles player and a doubles team for the region tournament, saw their dream of a state qualification scrapped at Old Fort Park.

In doubles play, the district winning team of Reid Lawrence and Grey Riddle faced off against the District 7 runner-up team from Oakland.  The Raider pair battled hard before falling in straight sets 3-6 and 4-6.  Red Raider Joseph Sadler advanced to the region as the District 8 runner-up which matched him up against the District 7 champion from Siegel.  The freshman Sadler bowed out 0-6 and 2-6 to cap off an incredible freshman season.

2017 CHS All-District award winners. {Left to Right) – Coach of the Year Robert Harper, 1st team All-District Tyler Walker, Defender of the Year Ben Reid, Forward of the Year Breyer Taylor, 1st team All-District Chase Harper, 2nd team All-District John Parigger, 1st team All-District Briggs Haithcock, 2nd team All-District Moises Ramirez

Seven members of the Coffee County CHS soccer team won All-District honors on Friday night following the District 8AAA championship.  Additionally, Coach Robert Harper was named the District coach of the year.   Red Raiders Tyler Walker, Ben Reid, Breyer Taylor, Chase Harper and Briggs Haithcock were named to the 1^st team All-District team.  Named to the 2^nd team were John Parigger, Moises Ramirez and Paco Barrera.  Additionally, Ben Reid was named the District 8AAA Defender of the Year and Breyer Taylor was named the District 8AAA Forward of the Year.

The Atlanta Braves entered Monday’s game in Toronto as Vegas underdogs and it was easy to see why. However, the team played quite well for nine innings and the end result was a rare, 10-6 victory that felt comfortable for long stretches of time.

In a continuation of positive recent trends, the Braves struck first and the initial blow came in the opening frame. Matt Kemp singled to send Freddie Freeman from first to third and, after a ghastly throw, Kemp was able to advance to second. On cue, Nick Markakis contributed some timely hitting with a two-run single to center and Atlanta was off and running.

Adonis Garcia then led off the second inning with a hit by pitch, stole second, advanced to third on an error and was brought to the plate by a sacrifice fly from Dansby Swanson. Braves starter Bartolo Colon did allow a run in the bottom half of the frame after back-to-back doubles but he escaped further damage and the Braves never trailed.

Swanson, who was excellent at the plate in the game, tacked on a run with an RBI single in fourth and Nick Markakis stretched the lead back to three with a second RBI single in the fifth. After a walk to Tyler Flowers, Garcia then extended the margin to 6-2 with an RBI single and the rout looked to be on from there.

A Jose Bautista double in the fifth inning did slash the margin back to three but, in short order, the game was broken open from the bat of Freddie Freeman. Swanson doubled to center to open the sixth and that was followed by a bunt single from Ender Inciarte. After a Brandon Phillips strikeout, Freeman blasted a three-run home run to center field and, at 9-3, the result was virtually academic.

The Braves would add an additional insurance run and, in continuing with his woeful performance this season, Ian Krol would allow Toronto to score a single run in the eighth inning before Josh Collmenter issued a two-run bomb in the ninth. Fortunately, both hiccups were largely meaningless and the end result was a positive one.

Individually, it was an excellent (read: perfect) night for Matt Kemp at the plate, as he went 4-for-4 with two doubles and three runs scored. Freddie Freeman, of course, added the biggest swing of the night, while Dansby Swanson (2-for-4, 2 RBI), Adonis Garcia (2-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 runs) and Nick Markakis (2-for-4, 3 RBI) brought strong performances to the table.

In run prevention, Bartolo Colon was not electric but he did enough to win. The veteran right-hander allowed three runs (two earned) across five innings of work and he was flanked by a scoreless outing from Jason Motte in addition to the issues of Krol and Collmenter.

The same two teams will be back at it on Tuesday in Toronto before coming back to Atlanta for two more on Wednesday and Thursday.

 The Nashville Sounds began an eight-game road trip with a 4-1 victory over the Fresno Grizzlies Monday night. Catcher Bruce Maxwell returned from his stint with Oakland with a three-hit night for the Sounds.

Working his way back from Tommy John surgery, Chris Bassitt (1-0, 4.00) put together a solid start for the Sounds (16-18). Six days after making his Sounds 2017 debut, Bassitt made his first start for the ball club and cruised through a season-high five innings and needed just 62 pitches to do so. He benefitted from outstanding defense behind him. The Sounds turned a double play in each inning from the second through the fifth. The four twin-killings matched a season-high for Nashville.

Through three innings Monday night’s game was a pitching duel. That ended when Matt Olson took Corey Coleman (1-2, 7.63) deep to give the Sounds a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning. One inning later, in his first game back with the club after a stint with Oakland, Maxwell smashed his first home run of the season to double the Sounds lead to 2-0. Franklin Barreto left his mark on the fifth inning with his 21^st RBI of the season on a single to center field that scored Melvin Mercedes. Monday night’s game was 14^th time the Sounds launched at least two home runs in a game in 2017. They are now 10-4 in such contests.

In the fourth inning Maxwell added to the Sounds’ lead with a base hit up the middle that scored Matt Chapman from second base. Chapman was aboard after recording his second double of the season.

Fresno (15-23) avoided a shutout thanks to a sacrifice fly from Preston Tucker off Michael Brady (2-1, 3.66) in the ninth inning but that was all the offense they could muster on the evening.

Maxwell added a lead-off double in the top of the ninth to secure his second three-hit game of the season. The Sounds catcher has now hit safely in four straight games for Nashville, which is a season-high.

Zach Neal (0-0, 4.02) picked up where Bassitt left off as he kept the Grizzlies’ offense at bay. Pitching out of the bullpen for the third time this season, Neal went three and surrendered just a pair of hits while striking out a trio hitters. Neal has not allowed a run in all eight innings he has pitched as a reliever this season.

Between Bassitt and Neal, the Sounds snapped Derek Fisher’s league-high 17 game hit streak. Nashville’s Renato Nunez saw his six game hitting streak come to an end as well.

The Sounds play game two of their eight-game trip in California tomorrow night against Fresno Game one against the Fresno Grizzles is scheduled for Monday night at Chukchansi Park. Right-hander Jharel Cotton (0-0, 0.00) starts for Nashville against right-hander David Martinez (1-4, 6.47) for Fresno. First pitch is slated for 8:35 p.m.

Karson Young of CHS Track

A pair of Coffee County Lady Raider track athletes and the 4x800M relay team qualified for Tuesday’s sectional track meet at Rhea County.  The Coffee County Raider and Lady Raider track teams competed at Blackman in the sub-sectional meet on Tuesday and Wednesday with a chance to advance to the sectional meet.  The top 4 finishers in each sectional will advance to the state meet in Murfreesboro.

Karson Young and Sarah Pearson each qualified in the 100M hurdles.  Young finished in a time of 16.41 seconds.  Pearson covered the distance in 17.14 seconds.  Pearson also qualified in the 300M hurdles as she ran a season best 49.39 seconds.  Young also qualified in the high jump, with a jump of 5’; the triple jump, with a jump f 36’ 7 ½”; and the long jump, with a jump of 17’4”.  The 4x800M relay team also recorded a season best time of 11:54.97 to finish in 4^th place and advance to the sectional.

The sectional meet will be held on Tuesday at Rhea County High School in Evensville.  The field events will begin at 2:30.  The 4×800 is scheduled for 3 PM with the hurdle races being held during the running events which begin at 4 PM.  All Times are Eastern Daylight Time.

To see a complete rundown of the sub-sectional results for all of the Coffee County athletes, go to the link at:  http://tn.milesplit.com/meets/260321/teams/4931#.WRexHvkrLIU