Category: Sports

Chad Pinder hit a walk-off two-run single in the bottom of the 12th inning to give the Nashville Sounds a thrilling 7-6 win over the Round Rock Express in front of 6,104 fans Tuesday night at First Tennessee Park.

The win extended the season-long winning streak to nine games for the Sounds who have won 16 of their last 17 games. It also pushed Nashville’s American South Division lead to 3.5 games over the Express.

Trailing 6-5 going to the bottom of the 12th, Max Muncy started the rally when he drew a walk off of Carlos Fisher. The right-hander bounced back and retired the next two hitters to put the game on the shoulders of Ryon Healy.

The Sounds’ first baseman answered when he ripped a double down the left field line. It looked like Muncy would easily score from first, but he tripped on the third base bag and had to quickly retreat to the base.

Round Rock elected to intentionally walk Matt Olson to load the bases for Pinder. The shortstop hit a 2-1 pitch down the right field line to score Muncy and Healy with the tying and winning run.

Nashville trailed for the better part of the game. A solo homer from Renato Nunez trimmed the deficit to 3-2 in the sixth, and Bruce Maxwell’s RBI groundout evened the game at 3-3 in the seventh.

With the game still tied in the bottom of the ninth, Olson rifled a double down the right field line to give Nashville a lead off base runner. They failed to score him as Pinder and Joey Wendle struck out, and Jaycob Brugman flied to center after Maxwell drew a walk.

The bad fortune continued immediately in the top of the 10th when James Jones sliced a double down the left field line for Round Rock.

Delino DeShields dropped down a bunt which pitcher Tucker Healy threw into left field trying to cut down Jones at third. The runner scored to give Round Rock a 4-3 lead. The next batter, Drew Robinson, doubled to drive in DeShields to make it 5-3.

Andrew Faulkner was called on to work the bottom of the 10th for Round Rock. He struck out Muncy before he walked Nunez and allowed a single to Andrew Lambo.

Faulkner came back to strike out Ryon Healy but Olson sent a two-out, two-strike, two-run double to the right-center gap that scored Nunez and Lambo to knot the game at 5-5.

It remained 5-5 until Brett Nicholas singled home Robinson in the top of the 12th. It looked like Round Rock would escape with the win until Nashville’s rally in the home half of the frame.

With the win, the Sounds finished the month of May with a 22-8 record. The only other professional team with that many wins in May was the Double-A Akron Aeros who matched the number.

Game two of the four-game series is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon at First Tennessee Park. Right-hander Angel Castro (0-2, 5.68) starts for the Sounds against left-hander Michael Roth (4-1, 1.69). First pitch is set for 12:05 p.m.

Tryouts for the 2016-17 Coffee County Central High School Lady Raider Softball team will be May 31 and June 2 at 6:00 pm. Everyone must have an up to date physical form with them to try out. If you have any questions please contact coach Steve Wilder at: wilders@k12coffee.net

Tryouts for the 2016-17 Coffee County Central High School Baseball team will be May 31 and June 2nd from 12 to 2. Everyone must have an up to date physical form with them to try out. If you have any questions please contact coach David Martin at: martindavid@k12coffee.net

Coffee County Middle School Baseball tryouts for next school year will be held on Saturday, June 4th at the following times: Incoming 6th & 7th grade from 10:00am to 1:00pm.  Incoming 8th grade from 1:00pm to 3:00pm.  Players trying out must have a copy of a current physical. If you have any questions please contact coach Brock Freeze at: freezeb@k12coffee.net

Mallex Smith’s three-run triple blemished Jeff Samardzija’s shortest start of the season and provided Mike Foltynewicz sufficient support as the Braves claimed a 5-3 win over the Giants on Monday afternoon.

Smith’s second-inning triple accounted for three of the five runs — four earned — Samardzija surrendered while needing 93 pitches to complete five innings. Brandon Belt’s second-inning homer accounted for the only run Foltynewicz allowed while limiting the Giants to three hits over six-plus innings.
The Giants had won 15 of their previous 17 games, but they were facing a challenge having arrived in Atlanta at approximately 1 a.m. ET, 12 hours before the opener of this four-game series. Arodys Vizcaino allowed two runs (one earned) in the ninth before escaping the threat, as the Braves have won three of four home games since entering Friday with a 2-20 record at Turner Field.
Nick Markakis’ second-inning double put runners at second and third base before Samardzija recorded his first out. Still, the Giants hurler was in position to escape unscathed until Smith drilled his two-out, three-run triple into the left-center-field gap to give the Braves a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Once Atlanta established its 5-1 lead, Foltynewicz gave the Giants one slim chance to make matters close. With two outs in the fifth inning, he yielded Joe Panik’s single and hit Matt Duffy with a pitch. The lukewarm rally fizzled as Foltynewicz struck out Belt on five pitches.
April 29-30 marked the last time the Giants lost back-to-back road games. They’ll try to avoid that fate in Tuesday’s rematch against the Braves. Jake Peavy will observe his 35th birthday by starting for the Giants. He’s 0-2 with a 3.44 ERA in three career starts here.  Atlanta will counter with Matt Wisler, who has posted a 2.25 ERA over his first five May starts. Wisler has pitched into the seventh inning in five of his past seven starts. First pitch is set for 6:10 p.m. CT.  Thunder Radio will bring you the broadcast of the game beginning at 6 PM on the Atlanta Braves Radio Network.

Matt Olson batted home the Sounds first four runs in the game Monday afternoon from Smith’s Ballpark. Olson launched a three-run homer in the fourth to lead the Sounds passed the Bees in an 8-3 win.

Sounds starter Daniel Mengden pitched the Sounds 15th quality start in the month of May for the Sounds in Mengden’s third win as a Sound. Mengden allowed two runs for just the second time this season and his first with Nashville. The-right hander went 6.1 innings allowing three runs, two of which were earned, on six hits.

It was a pitcher’s duel through the first three innings of the game until the Sounds took a 3-0 lead in the fourth.

Renato Nunez singled to left to lead off the Sounds fourth. Ryon Healy then followed with a double down the left field line to put two runners in scoring position for Matt Oloson. Olson then unloaded on a 3-2 pitch for a three-run home run to right field to put the Sounds up 3-0 after four.

The Sounds added five runs in the sixth highlighted by a two-run home run for Chad Pinder, and a two-run double by Jaycob Brugman. Healy walked to lead off the inning and was driven home on a double down the right field line to give Oloson his fourth RBI of the day. The Sounds then doubled their lead with the Brugman double and Pinder homer to take an 8-0 lead after six. The home run by Pinder extended his hitting streak to eight games as he hit safely in every game on the road trip.

Brugman went 4-for-4 with three doubles and scored once and extended his hitting streak to six games.

Salt Lake plated three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to make it a 8-3 Sounds lead. With Ji-Man Choi and Sherman Johnson in scoring position, Ryan Jacksons RBI groundout gave the Bees their first run of the day. Kyle Kubitza followed with an RBI single to right to score Johnson and the Bees trailed by six. Juan Graterol then singled to right field and a fielding error by Olson allowed Graterol to go to second and Kubitza scored from first.

The Sounds return home for a four-game series with the Round Rock Express at First Tennessee Park Tuesday night. The Sounds will send right-hander Chris Smith (3-5, 4.19) and Round Rock will counter with right-hander Nick Tepesch (4-2, 4.10). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CST.

Lady Raider softball junior varsity award winners(left to right) Erin Ferrell, Katie Rutledge and Danielle Baker.

The Coffee County CHS Lady Raider softball team held their end of the year banquet on Thursday night celebrating their first season under Steve Wilder. Coach Wilder, along with assistant coaches Jackie Wilder, Ashley Jernigan and Danielle Shelton, presided over the festivities at the CHS cafeteria. Awards for junior varsity, varsity and all-district teams were announced and presented.
Receiving JV awards were: Erin Ferrell – Highest Batting Average; Katie Rutledge – Raider in the Circle Award and Danielle Baker – Highest Defensive Average

Lady Raider softball varsity award winners(left to right) Lauren Tomberlin, Kaylee Skipper, Rhianna Roberson, Tori Bell, Haley Hinshaw, Ashlynn Morton and Tatum Baldwin

The varsity award winners were: Raven Rogers – Stolen Base Award; Slugger Award – Tori Bell; Renaissance Award – Lauren Tomberlin; Coaches Award – Ashlynn Morton; Super Sub Award – Tatum Baldwin; Lady Raider Award – Rhianna Roberson; Haley Hinshaw – Highest Batting Average; Kaylee Skipper – Raider in the Circle Award and Tori Bell – Highest Defensive Average

Lady Raider softball All District 8AAA Award winners (left to right) Kaylee Skipper, Rhianna Roberson, Tori Bell, Haley Hinshaw and Abby Woods

All-District 8AAA awards – Abby Woods, Haley Hinshaw, Rhianna Roberson and Tori Bell – All-District 8AAA team. Kaylee Skipper – District 8AAA Pitcher of the Year.
The Lady Raiders finished the season with a record of 22 and 18 on the year and the regular season District 8AAA title.

Coffee County High School senior Hayden Proffitt signed a golf scholarship to play at Freed-Hardeman University on Thursday. Pictured are, front row from left, Ty Proffitt, Hayden Proffitt, Sheila Proffitt and Elizabeth Proffitt; in back from left are WillowBrook PGA pro Barry Bishop, former CHS assistant coach Lucky Knott, CHS head coach Mike Ray and Freed-Hardeman coach Chris Hodges. (Photo and story by Josh Peterson- Manchester Times)

When Hayden Proffitt first witnessed a Coffee County Central High School golfer signing a college scholarship, he knew he wanted that for himself.

Thursday, that dream became a reality. Proffitt signed a golf scholarship with Freed-Hardeman University Thursday (May 26) surrounded by a room full of his friends, family, coaches and teammates at the CHS library.

“I started playing golf in the eighth grade and when I got to high school and actually saw people signing scholarships, I said right then that I wanted that to be me,” said Proffitt. “For years, four years in a row now, there have been golfers signing college scholarships out of Coffee County and to know I’m continuing that tradition … I’m just blessed.”

Hayden Proffitt tee’s off on the eighth hole of the Lakewood Country Club in Tullahoma Monday during the regional golf tournament.
Hayden Proffitt tee’s off on the eighth hole of the Lakewood Country Club in Tullahoma Monday during the regional golf tournament. (Manchester Times File Photo)
Proffitt’s scholarship offer came only a couple of weeks ago, after he was almost completely enrolled at the University of Tennessee at Martin.

“I was almost fully enrolled at UT-Martin, actually,” explained Proffitt. “Then two weeks ago [Freed-Hardeman] coach [Chris Hodges] called and talked to me about playing and I thought about it and, it was a really good offer, and I said absolutely I’m gonna’ take it. I couldn’t be more excited.

“It has been my dream to play college golf, so I couldn’t turn it down.”

Freed-Hardeman is a private university located in Henderson, Tenn. The Lions are part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Division 1 (NAIA).

The Lions won the Labor Day Intercollegiate tournament in Illinois this past golf season and took second place out of 10 teams in the Loyola New Orleans Spring Invitational.

“This past year they had five freshmen competing and had a really competitive roster,” said Proffitt. “That tells me this is a competitive team that I have got my foot in the door with and I can’t be more excited.”

[Story and photo compliments of Josh Peterson of the Manchester Times and used with permission.]

The Coffee County Lady Raider basketball team will be hosting a basketball clinic beginning on Tuesday at the Joe Frank Patch Gym. The camp will run from noon to 3 PM Tuesday thru Thursday and 9 AM to noon on Friday. The camp is open for girls in grades 1 thru 8 and will be taught by the Lady Raider coaching staff and players. Cost for the camp is $50 and campers will receive a free camp t-shirt and a free basketball. Campers need to be at the gym no later than 11:30 Tuesday morning to get registered.

Derek Dietrich felt right at home at Turner Field. The former Georgia Tech standout drove in a career-high four runs on Sunday in the Marlins’ 7-3 victory over the Braves at Turner Field.

Dietrich, a triple shy of the cycle, gave the Marlins plenty of support to avoid being swept in their weekend series. But the day wasn’t completely smooth for Dietrich, who was involved in a fluky play in the top of the ninth. While in the dugout, he was struck in the back of the head by a liner off the bat of Christian Yelich. He was down for several minutes before standing up, and he was being examined by the Braves’ medical staff postgame.
“You don’t like seeing that happening to anybody, especially one of your teammates,” Marlins right-hander Tom Koehler said. “Hopefully, it’s just a headache, and he’s back with us soon, and it’s nothing serious.”
Miami also claimed its first win in six tries against the Braves, who got 5 1/3 innings from starter Julio Teheran. He surrendered three runs.
Koehler gave up three runs (two earned) in seven-plus innings, and he won for the first time since April 26 at the Dodgers. It didn’t come easily, as he walked five batters for the fourth straight start.
“I just tried to make pitches down in the zone and get some ground balls,” Koehler said. “Our defense played really good behind me.”
In the eighth, the Braves chipped back with two runs. Mallex Smith walked and scored on Gordon Beckham’s grounder, which was booted by Dietrich for an error at second. Jeff Francoeur delivered a sacrifice fly. Marcell Ozuna homered for Miami in the ninth.
“We had a couple of opportunities, but like I said, [Koehler] was pretty much dealing, and we just didn’t do much with him,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “We’ve been swinging the bats well, you know. We hit a couple of balls hard, but just couldn’t get anything to drop. He was on his game.”
The Marlins’ first home run of the series was well-timed. Dietrich, who attended Georgia Tech, blasted a no-doubt, two-run homer in the sixth inning, putting Miami in front, 3-1. Before his at-bats during the series, the Braves’ organist played the Tech fight song. Dietrich’s homer marked the end of the day for Teheran, who worked 5 1/3 innings. According to Statcast™, Dietrich’s drive projected at 432 feet with an exit velocity of 107 mph. Dietrich added a two-run double in the seventh inning, putting Miami ahead by five runs.
“Obviously, that home run was big for us,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “Their guy was settling in, and it was getting deep into the game. Deets gets him there, and then the double. Big day for us.”
Teheran felt discomfort on his second pitch to Ozuna in the fourth. He remained in the game after a trainer visit to the mound. Ozuna singled on a full count before Justin Bour walked and Dietrich singled. The Marlins took a 1-0 lead on a Miguel Rojas ground ball, but Teheran retired the side to keep it at one run. He pitched a scoreless fifth inning, but Dietrich chased him with a two-run homer with one out in the sixth.
Yelich’s return to the starting lineup was an eventful one. The Marlins’ left fielder has been dealing with back spasms, and he hadn’t started since May 20. Yelich’s back certainly was tested. In the fourth inning, Yelich went to the wall to catch Freddie Freeman’s long fly, banging into it on the play. In the sixth, he made a shoestring catch to snare Francoeur’s sinking liner. Yelich also delivered a single in his first at-bat.
The Braves continue their 10-game homestand when they open a four-game series with the Giants at 12:10 p.m. CT on Monday. Hard-throwing right-hander Mike Foltynewicz (1-2, 3.95 ERA) will take the mound for Atlanta.  Thunder Radio will bring you the broadcast beginning at Noon on the Braves Radio Network.

A four-run fourth inning gave the Sounds a 4-2 lead and the Sounds never looked back in a 7-4 win Sunday night at Smith’s Ballpark.

The Sounds picked up four runs in the fourth inning to take a 4-2 lead. Max Muncy tripled down the right field line to score Jaycob Brugman who reached on an error by the pitcher to lead off the fourth. Renato Nunez then followed suite and singled to right to score Muncy to tie the game at 2-2. Nunez then scored on an errant throw by Bees short stop Ryan Jackson to attempt to throw out Pinder to make it 3-2. Joey Wendle then capped the inning off with an RBI single to right field to plate Andrew Lambo to double up the Bees.

Salt Lake took the early lead picking up runs in the bottom of the first and third inning. Ji-Man Choi singled home Todd Cunningham who walked earlier in the inning and advanced on a wild pitch and stole third to put the Bees up 1-0 lead after one. Cunningham then singled home Ryan Jackson in the third to put the Bees up 2-0.

Andrew Lambo extended his hitting streak to 11 games in the fourth inning which ties Rangel Ravelo for the longest hitting streak of the season. In the fifth, Lambo hit an RBI single to right to score Jaycob Brugman and the Sounds led 5-2. Ryon Healy then followed with a sacrifice fly to center to score Muncy to put the Sounds up 6-2 after five.

Eduard Santos came on in relief of Sounds starter James Naile in the sixth inning. Santos inherited two runners and then walked two batters to give up just one run in the inning to keep the Sounds on top 6-3.

Renato Nunez sent a two-out double to right field to score Bruce Maxwell to extend the Sounds lead to 7-3 in the eighth.

J.B Wendelken came on in the ninth inning to try to preserve the late 7-3 Sounds lead. Wendelken gave up a lead-off double to Bees first baseman Jefrey Marte. Marte then scored on a RBI single from Ji-Man Choi to make the score 7-4 Sounds. Wendelken then found even more trouble as he gave up two walks to load the bases with just one out in the ninth. The right-hander then composed himself and struck out the final two batters to preserve the 7-4 Sounds win.

The series concludes Monday afternoon at Smith’s Ballpark as the Sounds will send right-hander Daniel Mengden (2-0, 0.79) and the Bees will counter with left-hander Chris Jones (3-4, 6.32). First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. CST.

At last, the Braves have enjoyed back-to-back success at home. Gordon Beckham belted a three-run homer, while Nick Markakis drove in two runs on Saturday to push Atlanta to a 7-2 win over the Marlins at Turner Field.

“We had a lot of chances last night with runners in scoring position,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “Not a lot today, but we cashed in today.”
Atlanta won successive home games for the first time since sweeping three from the Cardinals to close out the 2015 season. The Braves have now beaten the Marlins all five times the clubs have met this year.
As a staff, Marlins pitchers entered Saturday having issued 198 walks, which is second most in the Majors to the Reds (216). Miami walked four on Saturday with three of the free passes scoring. Beckham doubled and scored off Wei-Yin Chen in the fourth. In the sixth, Atlanta scored three times off Jose Urena, who walked one. Beckham’s three-run homer off Edwin Jackson in the seventh came after two walks.
“This was the same game we’ve played every game against them,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “We get a little lead, and then we don’t do anything the rest of the day. You have to win games. You don’t just get games. We didn’t deserve to win. We didn’t play well enough to win.”
After breaking an 0-for-16 skid with a two-hit, two-RBI game on Friday night, Markakis came through for the Braves again on Saturday when they were down 2-0. He drove in the Braves’ first run with a sacrifice fly in the fourth to make it a 2-1 game. But it was his sixth-inning single that ended up giving Atlanta a 3-2 lead when the ball got past Marlins center fielder Marcell Ozuna and rolled all the way to the wall. Markakis, who advanced to third on the error, scored on Jeff Francoeur’s ground-rule double to center to extend the Braves’ lead to 4-2.
Chen threw three hitless innings, allowing just one baserunner, before Gordon Beckham doubled to center and took third on Ozuna’s error. The hit came on Chen’s third pitch of the frame. The Miami starter ended up tossing 36 more in the inning, for 39 total. Atlanta fouled off 18 of those pitches, and they scratched out a run on Markakis’ sac fly to center. Chen struck out Freddie Freeman in the inning, but on 10 pitches. The long inning ended up forcing Chen out of the game after just five frames. The Braves did big damage off Urena in the sixth, taking the lead.
“I think my control was a little off there,” Chen said through his interpreter about the inning. “I think sometimes I should have thrown a ball there. I allowed a lot of foul balls there. So I think my control could have been better.”
The Braves got big insurance runs in the seventh thanks to Beckham’s three-run homer to left-center after back-to-back walks to Chase d’Arnaud and Mallex Smith. The shot gave Atlanta a 7-2 cushion.
Scoring early off the Braves is nothing new for the Marlins. Miami has taken the early lead in all five games this season against Atlanta, only to watch the games slip away. The Marlins got on the board with two runs off prospect Aaron Blair in the second inning. Derek Dietrich, hitting to the left side for a single against the shift, collected a single. He scored on Cole Gillespie’s triple. Adeiny Hechavarria’s RBI single through a drawn-in infield made it 2-0.