Category: Sports

The Coffee County Middle School football team has finalized their season schedule by adding a game with Tullahoma. The Red Raiders will now open the season on August 9th at home as they host Tullahoma in the Coffee Cup game. The CCMS home football game with Tullahoma scheduled for August 23rd has now been moved to Tullahoma. Thunder Radio will now be able to bring you the Coffee Cup game as part of the First National Bank Hometown Tuesday series. We will have an updated Hometown Tuesday schedule posted soon on our website, so check back often.

The Nashville Sounds slugged three homers and ran away with a 12-5 win over the Omaha Storm Chasers in front of 5,204 fans Monday night at First Tennessee Park.

Backed by two five-run innings, the Sounds (57-46) used the win in the finale to grab the series by taking three of four from Omaha (44-57). Coupled with Memphis’ loss, the Sounds lead the American Southern Division by seven games with 41 to play in the regular season.

Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the third, Rangel Ravelo started the hit barrage when he launched his sixth home run of the season out to left field.

Omaha’s Hunter Dozier drilled his second home run in as many at bats to give the Storm Chasers the lead in the fourth. His second solo shot of the night made it a 2-1 game.

That’s when the floodgates opened thanks to the Nashville offense. In the fourth and fifth innings, they combined to score 10 runs on 11 hits to open an 11-4 lead.

Four straight singles from Chad Pinder, Matt Olson, Renato Nunez and Joey Wendle started the big fourth inning. Bryan Anderson added the fifth single of the inning and Arismendy Alcantara knocked in a pair of runs with the sixth base hit in the frame.

After Omaha came back with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth to make it a 6-4 game, the Sounds’ offense went back to work.

With one out in the bottom half of the inning, Renato Nunez launched a booming solo homer – his 15th of the season to extend the lead to 7-4.

Wendle and Anderson each contributed their second hit of the night before Alcantara smashed a run-scoring double and Jaycob Brugman brought in a pair with a line drive triple to the gap in right-center.

Alcantara’s huge night continued in the seventh when he clubbed a solo homer to give the Sounds a 12-4 lead. He finished the night 4-for-5 with 4 RBI, 2 runs scored, a homer and a double. His third inning single extended his Nashville hitting streak to 10 games.

Starter Ross Detwiler matched a career-high with nine strikeouts in his six innings of work. The lefty allowed four runs in the win before handing over to the bullpen.

The Sounds continue the homestand when they welcome the Colorado Springs Sky Sox for a four-game series set to begin Tuesday night. Right-hander Chris Jensen (1-3, 3.64) starts for the Sounds against right-hander Wily Peralta (0-3, 7.16) for the Sky Sox. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

The 2016 season is the Sounds’ 19th year in the Pacific Coast League and their second as the Oakland Athletics’ top affiliate. Tickets are available now by calling (615) 690-4487 or by visiting www.nashvillesounds.com.

Braden Brown delivers a pitch on Friday in a scrimmage with Harris

The baseball team of Coffee County Middle School welcomed Harris Middle School to CCMS on Friday night for a summer scrimmage game. The Raiders used a pair of huge innings to destroy the visiting Eagles 18 to 0 as Coach Brock Freeze was able to get all of his kids into the contest. Additionally, the Raiders got excellent pitching performances from Griffin Meeker, Nick Watkins, Braden Brown, Kyle Farless and Tanner Kistler.

Griffin Meeker gets a lead at 1st base on Friday in a scrimmage with Harris

Offensively, the Raiders had several strong performances. Trey Rogers scored 4 runs on the game, including twice in an 11 run 2nd inning for Coffee County. Rogers reached on a error, walked and had a pair of singles. Cooper Gastineau was 2 for 2 with a walk and an RBI. Kyle Farless was 1 for 3 with an RBI triple and Nick Watkins added an RBI double. Coach Brock Freeze is attempting to get in one more summer scrimmage for the Red Raiders before school starts.

The Rockies chased Braves pitcher Tyrell Jenkins before he could finish the fourth inning with three home runs in a 7-2 victory over the Braves on Sunday at Coors Field to complete their first four-game sweep since July 9-12, 2015, which was also against the Braves.

Colorado wasted no time scoring, hitting around in the first inning and plating four runs on Nolan Arenado’s three-run homer and Nick Hundley’s RBI single. The Rockies ended his night two innings later when DJ LeMahieu homered to lead off the inning and Trevor Story hit his fourth homer of the series two batters later.
Tyler Chatwood earned the win a rather bizarre pitching line in five shutout innings. The Braves only managed one hit off him — Freddie Freeman’s first inning single — but Chatwood walked a career-high eight batters. Atlanta got on the board in the seventh inning on a double by Freeman, who scored on Nick Markakis’ ground out.
Chatwood was only the seventh pitcher since 1913 with five or fewer innings, eight or more walks and no runs. He was in jams in each of his five innings, but was able to come out unscathed with a pair of strikeouts and three ground balls. Chatwood recorded six groundouts on the night and no fly outs.
Though Jenkins had survived the challenges he faced while making his only two previous starts at the offensively-friendly confines in Philadelphia and Cincinnati, it did not take him long to become Coors Field’s latest victim. The rookie surrendered Arenado’s three-run homer before recording his first out in a 37-pitch first inning. He exited after surrendering extra-base hits to three of the four batters faced in the fourth inning.

The Braves are off on Monday before a short 2 game series in Minnesota on Tuesday and Wednesday.   Both games are set to begin at 7:10 PM and Thunder Radio will bring you the broadcast of each game as part of the Atlanta Braves Radio Network.

Billy Burns delivered a clutch two-run single in the bottom of the eighth inning to help the Sounds to a come-from-behind 6-5 win over the Omaha Storm Chasers Sunday night in front of 5,720 fans at First Tennessee Park.

The base hit by Burns came just moments after a costly two-out error by Omaha’s second baseman Orlando Calixte. With Joey Wendle at second and Rangel Ravelo at first, Bryan Anderson hit a slow roller to Calixte who bobbled the ball allowing all runners to be safe.

On a 2-2 pitch from Malcom Culver with the Sounds (56-46) trailing 5-4, Burns sent one through the right side to score Wendle and Ravelo to give Nashville the 6-5 lead.

For the second consecutive night, both teams put up runs in the later innings and blew multiple leads.

Both starters were solid for their teams as Christian Binford went six innings for Omaha (44-56) and Dillon Overton went seven for Nashville.

Trailing 2-1, Matt Olson clubbed a double to start the bottom of the sixth for Nashville. After a base hit by Renato Nunez, Colin Walsh bounced into a 3-6-3 double play but it scored Olson to level the game at 2-2.

In the last of the seventh, the Sounds collected four straight one-out hits to take a 4-2 lead. Jaycob Brugman delivered the big blow with a two-run double to the right-center gap.

The lead didn’t hold, however, as Omaha plated three runs in the top of the eighth. Overton started the frame and allowed three hits before being lifted in favor of Tucker Healy.

With a 4-3 lead, Healy unleashed a wild pitch with a runner at third to allow the Storm Chasers to tie it. Jorge Bonifacio followed with a sacrifice fly to put Omaha in front with a 5-4 lead.

Like Nashville’s prior lead, Omaha’s didn’t last as Burns came through with the two-out base hit. He finished the night 4-for-5 with two RBI and a pair of runs scored.

Patrick Schuster worked a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his sixth save of the season. Healy earned his fifth win of the season and Culver was tagged with the loss.

The series finale is set for Monday night at First Tennessee Park. Left-hander Ross Detwiler (1-0, 1.80) starts for the Sounds against right-hander Alec Mills (3-1, 3.71) for the Storm Chasers. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

The 2016 season is the Sounds’ 19th year in the Pacific Coast League and their second as the Oakland Athletics’ top affiliate. Tickets are available now by calling (615) 690-4487 or by visiting www.nashvillesounds.com.

Trevor Story put himself into the record books, then lifted the Rockies to their third straight victory over the Braves, 8-4, on Saturday night at Coors Field. Story homered twice and had career highs with four hits and five RBIs.

Story’s two-run, second-inning shot off Braves starter Matt Wisler (4-10) gave him the National League record for home runs by a rookie shortstop, and he hit his 26th homer on a leadoff shot in the eighth off Jim Johnson. Story has eight homers in the last 13 games and three in two nights against the Braves. Story’s two-run single highlighted a five-run sixth inning that also included Carlos Gonzalez’s RBI double and Tony Wolters’ two-run single.
Wisler had an RBI single in the second and Adonis Garcia added an RBI single in the third. But Rockies starter Tyler Anderson (3-3) held the Braves to three runs and eight hits in six innings for his second straight win, as the Rockies — who will try to sweep the series Sunday afternoon — improved to 6-3 since the All-Star break, and are .500 (24-24) at home for the first time since June 27.
Anderson was up, 2-1, after two innings when a 47-minute rain delay hit. Two batters after the game resumed he gave up Freddie Freeman’s one-out triple, and two batters later, Garcia scored Freeman on a single. But Anderson fanned Jeff Francoeur and induced an Ender Inciarte pop foul to limit that threat, then weaved his way through six.
Wisler retired 15 of the 18 batters he faced through the first five innings, and Story had accounted for the only two hits recorded. But the Braves right-hander retired just one of the five batters he faced in the sixth and was charged with six earned runs over 5 1/3 innings. DJ LeMahieu’s one-out walk fueled the sixth-inning uprising against Wisler, who has allowed at least five earned runs in five of his past nine starts, including each of the past three.

The Braves and the Rockies conclude the 3 game series on Sunday with first pitch scheduled for 3:10 PM.  Thunder Radio will bring you the broadcast as part of the Atlanta Braves Radio Network beginning at 2 PM.

The Omaha Storm Chasers scored two runs in the ninth inning thanks to shaky defense and a handful of walks and grabbed a 6-4 win over the Nashville Sounds in front of a sellout crowd of 10,072 Saturday night at First Tennessee Park.

After being no-hit for the first six innings, the Sounds (55-46) put together multiple rallies to even the game in the later innings only to come up short.

Former Sounds pitcher Nick Tepesch, who was designated for assignment by Oakland less than two weeks ago, started for Omaha (44-55) and stymied his former teammates.

He set down the first 15 batters he faced on his way to six no-hit innings. The first batter to reach against Tepesch was Tyler Ladendorf who worked a one-out walk in the sixth.

With the Sounds trailing 3-0, Ladendorf moved from first to third on a pair of wild pitches by Tepesch. Bryan Anderson put Nashville’s first run on the board with an RBI groundout.

Omaha plated another run in the seventh thanks to a pair of wild pitches by Sounds starter Chris Smith.

Tepesch was lifted after six innings in favor of reliever Kevin McCarthy. Jaycob Brugman greeted McCarthy with a sharp single to left-center to break up the no-hit bid.

Chad Pinder followed with a hard groundball to second, but Ramon Torres’ throw to cut down Brugman at second sailed into left field. Brugman scored from first and Pinder took second on the error. Two batters later, Renato Nunez scored Pinder on a groundout to cut the deficit to 4-3.

Nashville reliever Aaron Kurcz delivered a scoreless eighth to keep the Sounds in striking distance. With one out and a runner at first in the bottom of the inning, Billy Burns legged out a fielder’s choice to keep the inning going.

On a 0-2 pitch, Burns took off on a pitch Brugman sent into right-center. After partially slowing around third base, Burns was able to score just ahead of the relay throw home.

The 4-4 game didn’t last long as Omaha took advantage of two errors and three walks in the top of the ninth. With runners and first and second, Raul Mondesi legged out an infield single. Nunez tried to make a barehanded play and bobbled the ball allowing the go-ahead run to cross.

J.B. Wendelken, who started the inning, intentionally walked Rey Fuentes to load the bases. The move backfired when Hunter Dozier worked a walk to force in another run to make it 6-4.

Brooks Pounders worked around a one-out walk in the bottom of the ninth to retire the side and snap the Sounds’ three-game winning streak. Pounders earned the win and Wendelken was charged with the loss.

Game three of the four-game series is set for Sunday night at First Tennessee Park. Left-hander Dillon Overton (10-4, 2.98) starts for the Sounds against right-hander Christian Binford (1-8, 6.31) for the Storm Chasers. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.

The 2016 season is the Sounds’ 19th year in the Pacific Coast League and their second as the Oakland Athletics’ top affiliate. Tickets are available now by calling (615) 690-4487 or by visiting www.nashvillesounds.com.

In a rematch of a pitcher’s duel from five days prior against Julio Teheran, the Rockies’ Jon Gray got the upper hand. The rookie right-hander tossed seven brilliant innings and closer Carlos Estevez survived a wild ninth for a 4-3 victory over the Braves on Friday night at Coors Field.

After not factoring into the decision in the Rockies’ 1-0 loss in Atlanta on Sunday, Gray earned the win by holding the Braves to one run on six hits with one walk and eight strikeouts. The only run came in the first inning on Nick Markakis’ RBI infield single that knocked in Freddie Freeman, whose triple popped out of left fielder Ryan Raburn’s glove.
“I think we’re just seeing Jonny Gray getting more and more confidence as a Major League pitcher,” Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. “We’re seeing it almost from start to start.”
Teheran looked like he was on his way to spoiling another solid start by Gray, but he left with tightness in his back while working on a shutout in the fifth inning. The Braves are hoping their ace exited early enough to avoid a significant injury and the need to be placed on the disabled list.
“I’d prefer to miss a couple innings and not have to miss another start over the rest of the season,” said Teheran, who initially felt the discomfort during the third inning.
The Rockies took advantage against the Braves’ bullpen, taking the lead in the sixth when Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story hit two-run homers off Joel De La Cruz and Dario Alvarez, respectively. The Braves made it a one-run game when Jace Peterson hit a two-run homer off Jason Motte in the eighth, but Estevez earned his eighth save despite loading the bases with one out in the ninth.
Arenado got just his second day off of the season on Thursday, and Weiss’ decision immediately paid off. Arenado broke out of his 4-for-18 slump by going 2-for-4 with his first home run in 45 at-bats. Arenado’s sixth-inning two-run homer gave the Rockies their first lead of the night.
“Sometimes it’s good to hit the reset button,” Weiss said. “Physically, he’s very, very durable, but everyone needs a mental break from time to time, especially when Nolan’s real hard on himself. Once in awhile it’s good to catch your breath for a day.”
Teheran pitched around a pair of hits in the first inning and a pair of walks in the fourth. But his night abruptly ended after he attempted to field Mark Reynolds’ infield single to begin the bottom of the fifth. The All-Star hurler did not aggravate his back while pursuing Reynolds’ grounder, but after the play, he signaled for the trainers at the behest of shortstop Erick Aybar, who knew Teheran had initially felt some discomfort in the third inning. The Braves termed the injury as right lat tightness and listed the pitcher’s status as day to day.
“He told me he was good,” Braves catcher Anthony Recker said. “He was telling the same thing to Aybar, but Aybar was telling him to get it looked at because it’s not worth hurting yourself more.”
Two batters after Arenado gave Colorado a 2-1 lead, Story extended it to 4-1 with his 24th home run of the season. That home run tied him with former Rockies slugger Troy Tulowitzki for the most home runs by a rookie shortstop in National League history. Story has 66 games to break Nomar Garciaparra’s 1997 record of 30 home runs for a Major League rookie shortstop.
“It’s been amazing,” Weiss said. “I know he made a lot of noise with the historical start, but he’s been very good throughout. Nobody’s going to keep up the pace he had going early on. He’s a good player.”
Peterson’s two-run homer, which was projected by Statcast™ to travel 437 feet, made it a 4-3 game. Adonis Garcia opened the ninth with a double and Atlanta eventually loaded the bases with one out. But Estevez escaped unscathed when Chase d’Arnaud popped out to shortstop and Peterson struck out on a check swing to end the game.
Teheran prevented a run in the first inning when he picked off Blackmon at second base ahead of Arenado’s triple. The Braves right-hander now has a Major League-best 22 pickoffs since the start of the 2013 season. Lefties Clayton Kershaw and Madison Bumgarner have 21, but no other right-hander has more than 11.
Six of Gray’s eight strikeouts came on his slider, and the other two were on his curveball. For the season, 74 of his 111 strikeouts have come on his slider. The Braves went 0-for-7 vs. the slider, which has held batters to a .156 batting average this season (24-for-154).
“It’s always there to bail me out,” Gray said. “If the fastball or anything else isn’t working — the changeup — I don’t know, I’ve just always got that pitch to throw in any count. I feel like it’s a good ground-ball pitch. I can make it short, put it down in the zone, get a ground ball or you can get a swing-and-miss. I feel like it’s constantly bailing me out.”
Matt Wisler will attempt to halt his recent struggles when Atlanta and Colorado resume their four-game series on Saturday at 7:10 p.m. ET. Wisler has allowed at least five earned runs in four of his last eight starts, including his last two.  Thunder Radio will bring you the broadcast as we join the Atlanta Braves Radio Network at 6 PM for the pregame show.

The Nashville Sounds concluded a wild day with a 2-1 win over the Omaha Storm Chasers on a walk-off wild pitch in front of 8,087 fans Friday night at First Tennessee Park.

With the bases loaded and nobody out in a 1-1 game in the bottom of the ninth, Omaha’s Clayton Mortensen uncorked a pitch in the dirt that got away from catcher Parker Morin. Sounds shortstop Chad Pinder raced home with the winning run to push Nashville’s record to 55-45.

The start of the game was delayed due to travel delays the Sounds and much of the Pacific Coast League experienced Thursday night and into Friday. The team didn’t arrive in Nashville until close to 6:30 p.m.

Sounds starter Raul Alcantara had a dazzling Triple-A debut. Just up from Double-A Midland, the 23-year-old Alcantara tossed seven strong innings and allowed one unearned run. The right-hander scattered four hits, did not walk a batter and struck out three.

The lone run Alcantara allowed came across in the second when Hunter Dozier reached on an error to start the frame. Three batters later, Travis Snider knocked in Dozier with an RBI groundout to give Omaha an early 1-0 lead.

Storm Chasers starter John Lannan was impressive as well. He kept the Sounds off the board until two outs in the fourth when Renato Nunez blasted a solo homer to deep left field to even the game at 1-1. It was Nunez’s 14th home run of the season and the league-leading 28th long ball the Sounds have hit in the month of July.

It remained 1-1 until the bottom of the ninth. Alcantara handed off to Ryan Doolittle who wiggled out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the top of the eighth.

He struck out Tony Cruz for the second out of the inning and then retired Dozier on a fly out to center to get out of the jam. Tucker Healy worked a scoreless top of the ninth and earned the win.

In the bottom of the ninth, Pinder lined a base hit to left-center to start the rally. He went first-to-third on another base hit by Nunez who moved to second when Omaha intentionally walked Joey Wendle.

The walk-off win is the eighth for the Sounds in 2016. It’s the second time they have won on a walk-off wild pitch as Pinder joins Wendle who raced home on a wild one on June 17 to beat Round Rock.

Game two of the four-game series is set for Saturday night at First Tennessee Park. Right-hander Chris Smith (5-8, 4.27) starts for the Sounds while the Storm Chasers have yet to name a starter. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

The 2016 season is the Sounds’ 19th year in the Pacific Coast League and their second as the Oakland Athletics’ top affiliate. Tickets are available now by calling (615) 690-4487 or by visiting www.nashvillesounds.com.

CHS senior golfer Savannah Quick strikes a putt on the 17th hole at Lakewood on Thursday.

The CHS Red Raider and Lady Raider golf teams battled a full field of teams, scorching hot temperatures and a tough Lakewood County Club course to capture a pair of top 5 finishes on Thursday as part of the Tullahoma preseason tournament. Samuel Prater and Savannah Quick each shot 3 over par scores of 75 to lead their respective teams. The Lady Raiders finished in 3rd place while the boys came in 5th.
Senior Savannah Quick’s 75 was low enough to give her first place among the ladies. Quick shot an impressive 1 over par 37 on the back 9. Fellow senior Sophie Vinson shot an 83 to give the Lady Raiders a team score of 158. That score was good enough to capture 3rd place in the talented field of teams.

Members of the 2016 CHS Golf teams following Thursday’s preseason tournament. Front Row(left to right) Savannah Quick, Sophie Vinson and coach Mike Ray. Back Row(left to right) Austin Farris, John Parigger, Samuel Prater, Matthew Hale and Matthew Wright

For the Red Raiders, a pair of sophomores led the scoring parade as Prater’s 75 and Austin Farris’ 77 led Coffee County. Senior John Parigger carded an 80 and fellow sophomore Matthew Hale got around in 89 while sophomore Josh Perry finished with a 90 to give the Raiders a team score of 321.
The CHS golf teams open their regular season on Tuesday, August 2nd when they travel to Cookeville. That match is set to start at 1 PM at the Cookeville Golf Club.