Category: Sports

The CHS volleyball team dropped 2 of their 3 matches on Thursday to finish in 3rd place in the gold pool at the Eagleville Preseason Playday. The Lady Raiders dropped their first match of the day 2 to 1 to Middle Tennessee Christian School by scores of 20-25, 25-11 and 9-15 in a well played match by each team. In the second match, Coffee County beat Columbia Academy in straight sets 25 to 22 and 26 to 24. In the final match of the day, the Lady Raiders were swept in straight sets by perennial Class A power Summertown 20-25 and 24-26
The tournament concludes on Friday with a double elimination tournament bracket. Coffee County will open play at 9 AM at Eagleville High School. Coffee County opens the regular season at Warren County on August 9th when they take on Warren County and Van Buren County in a 3 team round-robin. You will be able to catch several Lady Raider volleyball games this season on Thunder Radio, including the postseason, as part of the First National Bank Hometown Tuesday series.

Rockies right fielder Carlos Gonzalez and pinch-hitter Mark Reynolds made their homers count Thursday night in a 7-3 victory over the Braves at Coors Field.

Gonzalez’s three-run homer in the sixth inning, off Braves starter Mike Foltynewicz, carried a 114.1-mph exit velocity and a projected distance of 459 feet — the second-hardest and second-longest homer for Gonzalez this year, according to Statcast™. More important, it was Gonzalez’s first homer in 23 plate appearances and, even better, his first homer in a Rockies win in 73 plate appearances since June 27.
“You can’t fall behind one of the best fastball hitters in the game, and you especially can’t pitch around him at that time because the bases would be loaded,” Foltynewicz said. “You’ve just got to tip your cap. He was waiting for the inside fastball and he turned on it.”
Gonzalez’s 20th homer this season backed starter Chad Bettis, who held the Braves to one run and four hits in 6 2/3 innings, and fanned four while helping the Rockies improve to 4-3 since the All-Star break.
“We’ve been facing some pretty good arms, but not being able to score runs was frustrating,” Gonzalez said. “When I hit that home run, I kind of looked angry. But I was pumped up, because I knew Bettis was doing a tremendous job. Not scoring runs, I took it personally — he was doing his thing, we’ve got to be able to do our things.”
The only run off Bettis came on A.J. Pierzynski’s one-out, RBI double in the seventh. But with Pierzynski at third, reliever Adam Ottavino struck out pinch-hitter Brandon Snyder, and Reynolds opened the seventh with his 10th homer of the year — a 484-foot shot that was the second-longest in the Majors this year, according to Statcast™.
In the July 16 meeting in Atlanta, Pierzynski’s two-run homer off Bettis was a key reason Bettis ended up with a no-decision in a 4-3 Rockies victory. In the second inning Thursday, Bettis won at a key time. With two on and one out, Bettis forced Pierzynski into a double-play grounder. The double play made for two of the 11 outs Bettis gained on the ground.
“We like when they strike them out and get grounders — that’s good,” Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. “When you’ve got that variation in velocity, you’re going to see some ground balls.”
Foltynewicz issued a season-high five walks and allowed three runs over 5 2/3 innings. The right-hander recorded four of his five strikeouts after the fourth inning, but his inconsistent command bit him as he walked Charlie Blackmon to begin the decisive sixth and then surrendered three of the four hits charged against him. Before allowing Gonzalez’s mammoth home run, Foltynewicz pitched around two fourth-inning walks with the assistance of Ender Inciarte, who raced 79 feet, according to Statcast™, to catch Ryan Raburn’s two-out drive in front of the center-field wall.
“Later in the game, I think I was just trying to nibble at the corners, instead of just being aggressive and pitching to contact,” Foltynewicz said. “Also, I think I fell out of rhythm there out of the stretch a few times and just tried to get too quick.”
Gordon Beckham began the fourth inning with a double and beat Gonzalez’s strong throw to third base after Nick Markakis followed with a flyout. When Adonis Garcia hit a one-out liner to right, Beckham took off toward the plate and was unable to get back to third base to tag. Though Gonzalez made a strong, accurate throw to the plate, Beckham appeared to immediately regret what appeared to be a bad read.
The Rockies plated three insurance runs in the eighth, with the assistance of an obstruction call against shortstop Erick Aybar. With runners at second and third, Nick Hundley singled through the left side to score Trevor Story from third. Aybar stepped into the path of Daniel Descalso between second and third. Descalso continued home and was beaten by the throw from left fielder Jace Peterson. However, because Descalso didn’t stop after the obstruction, he was awarded the plate and Aybar was charged with an error. Braves catcher Pierzynski was ejected for what he claimed was innocently kicking a ball toward the Rockies dugout as Snitker and Aybar argued near third base.
“Erick is running for the ball and the guy is behind him,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “It’s kind of hard to feel that guy and stop to get out of the way of him when he’s trying to score. Did he interfere with him? Maybe. But sometimes that happens when a guy can’t help but do that. That’s just kind of a natural play.”
A key play in the fourth stood after replay, when Pierzynski’s throw and shortstop Aybar’s high tag to the face were in time to retire Story on a steal attempt with one out. The Rockies had runners at first and third with Descalso batting. Story, who had taken advantage of a couple of pitches in the dirt against Pierzynski Friday night in Atlanta, was running to stay out of the double play. Runners had an 82.1 percent success rate against Pierzynski previously (with pitcher caught stealings subtracted).
Julio Teheran will take the mound when Atlanta and Colorado resume their four-game series on Friday at 7:40 p.m. CT. Teheran tossed seven scoreless innings against the Rockies on Sunday.  Thunder Radio will bring you all the action tonight on the Braves Radio Network.  We begin our coverage with the pregame show at 6:30.

The Nashville Sounds exploded for seven runs in the sixth inning in an 8-4 win over the Albuquerque Isotopes Thursday afternoon at Isotopes Park.
Albuquerque starter Eddie Butler carried a 1-0 lead and no-hitter into the sixth before the Sounds’ explosion at the plate.
Butler faced Tyler Ladendorf to start the inning and retired the left fielder on a groundout. The next four batters reached on three hits and a walk. Nashville (54-45) got on the board when Jaycob Brugman’s single up the middle scored Bryan Anderson who doubled earlier in the inning.
Chad Pinder followed with a run-scoring single of his own to give the Sounds a 2-1 lead. Butler came back to retire Max Muncy on a line out for the second out in the inning but the rally picked up again.
With Brugman and Pinder on base, Joey Wendle hit a booming two-run triple to give the Sounds a 4-1 cushion. It continued when Rangel Ravelo followed Wendle with a run-scoring double to left to make it 5-1.
Ravelo’s double was the final straw for Butler who entered the inning having allowed only one base runner in the game.
Brian Schlitter entered for Albuquerque (43-55) and was greeted by Matt Olson who launched a two-run blast to right field to conclude the seven-run outburst. It’s Olson 11th home run of the season.
The big inning marked the second time on the road trip the Sounds have scored seven or more runs in a single inning. It was also the fourth time they plated more than five runs in a single inning on the eight-game trip.
As the offense continued to role, starter Chris Jensen was quietly putting together another quality outing. Just up from Double-A Midland, he limited the Isotopes to three runs on six hits in seven innings.
He was cruising along with a 7-1 lead until Dustin Garneau and Jordan Patterson cracked back-to-back homers off the right-hander in the bottom of the seventh.
Eduard Santos worked the final two innings and allowed a run before closing out the win to give the Sounds a 5-3 trip.
Ravelo was the lone Sounds player with a multi-hit game, and he joined Wendle and Olson with multi-RBI games.
The Sounds return to First Tennessee Park to begin an eight-game homestand set to begin Friday night against Omaha. Right-hander Raul Alcantara (0-0, 0.00) starts for Nashville against left-hander John Lannan (5-7, 4.95) for Omaha. 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. Season ticket memberships are available now by calling (615) 690-4487 or by visiting www.nashvillesounds.com.

The CHS Volleyball huddles up on Wednesday at Eagleville(Photo provided)

The CHS volleyball team continued their preseason tune-up work as they traveled to Eagleville on Wednesday to compete in a preseason tournament. Coach Andrew Taylor called it a “very productive day.”  The team finished first in their pool with a 2 and 1 record.  A bad service game contributed to the lone blemish on the day.

In the first match, the Lady Raiders won the best 2 out of 3 match in straight sets 25 to 22 and 25 to 22 over the host Lady Eagles of Eagleville. In the second match, Lawrence County, who was a late replacement for Loretto, took advantage of 12 services errors to sweep Coffee County by a pair of 25 to 23 scores. In the final match, the Lady Raiders blasted Grundy County 25 to 16 and 25 to 5.

Coach Taylor was complimentary of the play of 3 of his seniors as Rachel Henley, Bailey Morgan and Kaylee Skipper were all called out for strong play in the opening day of the tournament. Coffee County will return to Eagleville on Thursday for 3 games as they will play at 9 AM, Noon and 3 PM.  The tournament concludes on Friday with a double elimination tournament bracket.

The 2015 CHS Lady Raider golfers with their 2nd place trophy from last year’s Lakewood preseason tournament. (L-R) Sophie Vinson, Savannah Quick & Teagan Perry (Photo provided)

The CHS Red Raider and Lady Raider golf teams will take part in a scrimmage tournament on Thursday as they travel to Tullahoma for the Lakewood Preseason Tournament. Last season, the Lady Raiders finished 2nd in the tournament led by Savannah Quick who shot a 2 over par 74. The Red Raiders came in 5th place with 3 of their top 4 golfers from last year’s tournament returning.
The tournament will begin at 9 AM at Tullahoma’s Lakewood Country Club. 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 and the Cookeville Golf Club.

It was a good thing for Reds pitcher Anthony DeSclafani that Tucker Barnhart hit a home run in the sixth inning on Wednesday afternoon at Great American Ball Park. The two-run shot not only provided a lead, it allowed DeSclafani to pitch eight innings as the Reds took a 6-3 victory over the Braves and claimed two of three games in the series.

Braves starter Lucas Harrell took a 2-0 lead into the sixth inning when Cincinnati erupted for a four-run rally. With one out, Jose Peraza hit a two-run single to center field that scored Jay Bruce and Eugenio Suarez. Two batters later, Barnhart put the Reds ahead with a two-run homer to right field. Manager Bryan Price would have pinch-hit for DeSclafani, who was hitting ninth behind Barnhart, had they not taken the lead.
“I told [DeSclafani] the other day that he needs to pitch more, because I seem to drive in some runs when he pitches,” said Barnhart, who is batting .345 in his past 18 games. “[Harrell] threw me two sliders there before the heater. I was lucky to put a good swing on it. I feel really good at the plate right now. I’m just trying to keep it rolling.”
Harrell finished with four earned runs and seven hits over six innings, with three walks and three strikeouts.
“Wheels came off right there,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “He did a good job of keeping us in the ballgame for five innings. Obviously stayed with him too long.”
DeSclafani pitched eight innings for the second time this season and allowed two earned runs and eight hits, with no walks and three strikeouts. He is 5-0 with a 2.50 ERA in eight starts this season.
In the seventh, Joey Votto provided added insurance with his own two-run homer to right field against lefty reliever Ian Krol. The Braves made the gap less comfortable in the ninth, when Adonis Garcia led off with a first-pitch homer to right field against right-hander Ross Ohlendorf to make it a three-run game. But there would be no comeback, as the Reds won for the fourth time in their past six games.
In the sixth as Cincinnati trailed, 2-0, Bruce and Suarez started the inning with singles vs. Harrell. When Brandon Phillips flied out to right field, Bruce tagged up and went to third base, and Suarez alertly advanced to second base and easily beat a wide throw. That enabled Suarez to score on Peraza’s single on a close play at the plate that was reviewed.
“Suarez followed him and set the table for Peraza to line that two-run single that led us to Barney’s two-run homer and giving us a lead,” Price said. “So much of that was based on the fact the Geno tagged up and did a heads-up job on the bases. A lot of good things these first six games of the second half.”
Freeman goes deep: Freddie Freeman’s first-inning homer came off the bat at 102 mph and traveled 382 feet, according to Statcast™. The homer busted a 1-for-19 stretch for Freeman. After being held 0-for-11 against Colorado, Freeman came into Wednesday’s game 1-for-8 with four strikeouts against the Reds. He finished the game 1-for-4, striking out three times. Freeman’s jack was his first at Great American Ball Park. His 81 homerless plate appearances were the most he’s had at any park without going yard.
“This park’s a graveyard. Know what I mean?” Freeman said. “I’ve never in my career been swinging very well when I come into this park, and I was able to get one over there today.”
Votto’s homer in the seventh was his 16th of the season and second in three games. It also continued a very hot stretch for the first baseman. He has reached safely in 15 of his past 16 games (.565 on-base percentage) and he’s hit safely in all six games since the All-Star break, while batting .550 (11-for-20).
Harrell cruised through his first five innings, allowing three hits and just two men into scoring position. But in the sixth, he looked more like he did in his previous start, allowing four hits and four runs in the frame. The overall outing was better than his 3 2/3-inning, seven-run (five earned) performance against Colorado, but still a long way away from his first two starts, in which he had a 1.32 ERA over 13 2/3 innings.
The Braves travel to Colorado on Thursday to face the Rockies for the second time in their past three series. Mike Foltynewicz takes the mound in the 7:40 p.m. CT start. In his past outing, also against the Rockies, Foltynewicz allowed three runs in seven-plus innings and took a no-decision.  Thunder Radio will bring you the broadcast, as part of the Atlanta Braves Radio Network, beginning at 6:30 PM.

Left-hander Ross Detwiler tossed five strong innings in relief to help guide the Nashville Sounds to a 7-5 win over the Albuquerque Isotopes Wednesday night at Isotopes Park.
Fresh off being acquired in a trade with the Cleveland Indians, Detwiler limited the ‘Topes to one run in his five frames after starter Jesse Hahn went one inning in a planned shortened start.
When he entered in the second, the game was even at 0-0 but it didn’t stay that way for long. The first batter Detwiler faced – Ben Paulsen – clubbed a solo homer to right field to give Albuquerque (43-54) a 1-0 lead.
He settled in after the blast and retired 15 of the next 17 batters he faced before turning it over to J.B. Wendelken in the seventh.
By then the Sounds (53-45) had built a 4-1 lead thanks to a big fourth inning. The frame started when Max Muncy drew a walk against Albuquerque starter Jeff Hoffman.
Renato Nunez singled and Joey Wendle bounced into a fielder’s choice to put runners at the corners with one out. Matt Olson drew a walk to load the bases for Colin Walsh who leveled the game with a sacrifice fly.
The red-hot Bruce Maxwell gave the Sounds the lead for good when he sent a single up the middle scoring Wendle. It extended the hitting streak to eight games for Maxwell who finished the night 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and an RBI.
The offense kept churning as Billy Burns and Jaycob Brugman followed Maxwell with run-scoring singles of their own. Brugman’s infield knock made it a 4-1 game.
Detwiler went on cruise control before handing over to Wendelken who tossed a scoreless seventh and eighth inning. He got an assist from Brugman who threw out Tim Smalling at the plate trying to score from second on a base hit by Rafael Ynoa.
For good measure, Nashville plated three more runs in the ninth. Maxwell doubled and moved to third on a wild pitch before being sent home on Burns’ third hit of the night. Chad Pinder pitched in with a run-scoring double and Max Muncy made it 7-1 with a sacrifice fly.
Ryan Brasiser started the bottom of the ninth but allowed four runs on three hits and a pair of walks before being lifted. Eduard Santos relieved him and got Ynoa to bounce into a fielder’s choice to end it.
The series finale is scheduled for Thursday afternoon at Isotopes Park. Right-hander Zach Neal (7-2, 3.21) starts for the Sounds against right-hander Eddie Butler (4-0, 4.64). First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. CST.
The 2016 season is the Sounds’ 19th year in the Pacific Coast League and their second as the Oakland Athletics’ top affiliate. Season ticket memberships are available now by calling (615) 690-4487 or by visiting www.nashvillesounds.com.

The first-place Nashville Sounds begin an eight-game homestand on Friday, July 22 when they welcome the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals – the Omaha Storm Chasers – to First Tennessee Park.

Following the set against Omaha, the Sounds host the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers – the Colorado Springs Sky Sox – for four games from July 26-29.

Below is a preview for each game of the homestand:

Friday, July 22 vs. Omaha – 7:05 p.m.

• Gates open at 6:00 p.m.
• FOX17 post-game fireworks presented by Koorsen Fire & Security.

 Saturday, July 23 vs. Omaha – 7:05 p.m.

• Gates open at 6:00 p.m.
• Pirates and Princesses Theme Night – Join the Sounds in dressing up in your favorite pirate or princess costume. Meet and greet with Princess throughout the game and participate with a face painter with special pirate and princess designs.
• Boy Scout Night – The Sounds and the Middle Tennessee Boy Scout Council host Boy Scout Night at First Tennessee Park. The night features a pre-game parade, post-game sleepover on the field and breakfast in the morning.

Sunday, July 24 vs. Omaha – 6:35 p.m.

• Gates open at 5:30 p.m.
• Tiny Tunes Kids Club Day presented by First Tennessee.
• Sounds OYO Mini-figure Giveaway – The first 2,000 fans in attendance receive a collectible Sounds OYO mini-figure.
• Pre-game autograph session with select Sounds players 5:45-6:00.
• Military Sunday presented by Piedmont Natural Gas, Tennessee 811 and WSMV Channel 4 – the Sounds will wear camouflage jerseys to honor active/veteran military men, women & families.
• Kids Run the Bases (12 & under) presented by First Tennessee.

Monday, July 25 vs. Omaha – 7:05 p.m.

• Gates open at 6:00 p.m.
• Major League Monday Stomper Appearance – Oakland A’s mascot Stomper makes his way to First Tennessee Park to hang out with Booster presented by AM 650 WSM.
• Kroger Plus Monday – Buy a “Family 4-Pack” that includes 4 Select section tickets, 4 hot dogs & 4 fountain sodas for $44. This offer is only available at participating Ticketmaster locations inside Kroger stores and is not available at First Tennessee Park.

Tuesday, July 26 vs. Colorado Springs – 7:05 p.m.

• Gates open at 6:00 p.m.
• “Live from Nashville, it’s Tuesday Night” – First Tennessee Park transforms into Margaritaville on Jimmy Buffett Night and Luau with a Steel Drums performance by Deep Groove Steel Band.
• Grill Spatula and Bottle Opener Giveaway – The first 2,000 fans in attendance receive a grill spatula and bottle opener presented by Tennessee Beef Council.

Wednesday, July 27 vs. Colorado Springs – 12:05 p.m.

• Gates open at 11:00 a.m.
• Noon Bash in Nash presented by ESPN 102.5 The Game – catch Sounds baseball at high noon!
• Senior Discount – Fans 60 and older may purchase a Corner Section ticket for just $8. Discount is based on availability – one ticket per I.D.

Thursday, July 28 vs. Colorado Springs – 7:05 p.m.

• Gates open at 6:00 p.m.
• Throwback Thursday presented by iHeartMedia – the Sounds will wear throwback jerseys to commemorate the team’s original uniform style from 1978. Fans can purchase Coca-Cola fountain soda, domestic draft beers and 12oz. cans for $2 each. Bud and Bud Light 16oz. cans and import and craft draft beer can be purchased for $3 each.

Friday, July 29 vs. Colorado Springs – 7:05 p.m.

• Gates open at 6:00 p.m.
• FOX17 post-game fireworks presented by Koorsen Fire & Security.

The 2016 season is the Sounds’ 19^th 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.

The Coffee County Central High School volleyball team opens up preseason competition on Wednesday when they travel to Eagleville for a preseason scrimmage tournament. Coach Andrew Taylor and the Lady Raiders will be looking to replace several key starters from last season as they begin work on setting their lineup.
Coffee County will take on Eagleville at 9 AM, Loretto at 10:30 and Grundy County at noon. The Lady Raiders return to Eagleville on Thursday for games which will be determined by their performance on Wednesday. After Thursday’s matches, all the teams will be seeded into brackets based on the previous two days performances and play out a double elimination tournament on Friday. The matches will be held at Eagleville High School. Coffee County opens the season in McMinnville on August 9th when they take on Warren County and Van Buren County in a 4:30 PM doubleheader at Warren County High School.

It was a night when both teams’ bullpens had spells of not getting the job done. But the messy battle of relievers was ultimately claimed by the Braves with a 5-4 victory over the Reds in 11 innings, with Ender Inciarte’s sacrifice fly being the difference.

In the top of the 11th, Nick Markakis hit a leadoff single against Tony Cingrani, who worked a scoreless 10th for Cincinnati. Blake Wood took over and allowed Jeff Francoeur’s single that put runners on the corners. Inciarte hit a fly ball to center field and Markakis scored the go-ahead run — just the third inherited runner to cross the plate on Wood this season. Francoeur was thrown out by Billy Hamilton for the double play trying to advance to second base, but the damage was already done.
Flamethrowing right-hander Mauricio Cabrera earned the win when he pitched the final 1 2/3 innings for Atlanta with one infield hit in the 11th that left the tying run stranded.
“[Cabrera] just keep pitching those stressful innings, and it doesn’t bother him a bit,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “The expression never changes. He just keeps throwing, he keeps pitching. I’ve been very impressed with his makeup, his mound presence, the way he goes about it, and he’s going to get better and better.”
Braves closer Jim Johnson could not lock down a 4-2 advantage in the bottom of the ninth, as the Reds scored twice. Eugenio Suarez’s leadoff single and a bloop double by Ramon Cabrera led to one run when pinch-hitter Tucker Barnhart hit an RBI groundout to shortstop. The tying run followed, on Zack Cozart’s RBI single down the left-field line, before he was thrown out trying for a double. Hamilton followed with an infield single but was caught stealing with Joey Votto batting to send the game into extras.
It was a 2-2 game when the Reds bullpen’s season-high scoreless streak of 13 innings was snapped by Gordon Beckham’s two-run home run in the seventh off of Michael Lorenzen. It was the first homer allowed by Cincinnati’s bullpen since July 4, ending its longest homerless streak of the season but adding to its Major League lead with 67 home runs allowed.
The Braves were in line to get starter Tyrell Jenkins his first career win, but Johnson couldn’t hold it down in the ninth and gave up the tying runs. It was Johnson’s third blown save in five opportunities.
Following a Votto two-out walk against Jenkins in the first inning, Bruce hit a 3-1 pitch that cleared the fence in left-center field for a two-run homer and a 2-0 Reds lead. It was Bruce’s 19th homer of the season, a welcomed one for the 2016 All-Star, who came in batting .174 in July — including 2-for-11 in his previous four games. Bruce finished the rest of the night hitless, however, and grounded into two double plays.
Reds starter Cody Reed lost his lead in the top of the second when two defensive miscues opened the door for Atlanta. Inciarte reached on an error by Suarez, putting runners on first and second. A four-pitch Reed walk to Anthony Recker loaded the bases for Erick Aybar, who lined a comebacker off of the pitcher’s glove and into right field for an RBI single. Bruce charged the ball but dropped the barehand attempt to grab off the grass for an error that let a second run score.
Beckham ended an 0-for-16 drought with a single to lead off the game. He went on to hit a two-run go-ahead homer in the seventh, which came off the bat at 96 mph and traveled 396 feet, according to Statcast™. Beckham’s last hit, which came on July 9, was also a homer. Since returning from the disabled list on July 7, Beckham is hitting .200 with 10 strikeouts in 30 at-bats.
The Braves look to take the series in a 11:35 a.m. CT rubber match against the Reds on Wednesday. Lucas Harrell takes the mound, eyeing a rebound from a 3 2/3-inning, five-run outing against the Rockies on Friday. Harrell was 2-0 with a 1.32 ERA in two starts before the All-Star break.