A 2 run home run by Cade Giles highlighted a 3 run 2nd inning but it was not enough on Tuesday night as the Coffee County CHS Baseball fell to Lawrence County 6 to 3. Giles blast over the left field wall was the first of three 2 out hits for the Raiders in the inning that plated their only runs. Zach Wise drew a 2 out walk and scored on the Giles home run followed by a single from Nathaniel Tate and an RBI single from Jacob Langham. Langham finished the night 2 for 3 with a double. Lawrence County rallied to take the lead in the 6th inning with a pair of runs and added a pair of insurance runs in the 7th to drop the Raiders district record to 2 and 3 on the season. With his home run, Giles was named the Thunder Radio player of the game. The Raiders will travel to Lawrenceburg on Wednesday for game #2 in the series with the Wildcats. First pitch is scheduled for 5:30 PM.
Goals from Ryan Ellis and Viktor Arvidsson weren’t enough for the Nashville Predators as they fell 5-2 to the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center on Tuesday night on the second half of a back-to-back slate.
Despite the lopsided score, the final tally was not reflective of the team’s effort, as the Preds outshot, outhit and won the face-off battle against the Stars.
“Our guys played really hard tonight,” Head Coach Peter Laviolette said. “We made a couple of mistakes, but our effort under the circumstances, the travel and back-to-back, I thought our guys played real hard.”
Dallas went on their first power play early in the opening frame, but it was the Preds who capitalized when Ellis intercepted a pass at his own blue line and skated the puck to the right face-off circle, blasting a shot over Kari Lehtonen’s shoulder to take a 1-0 lead.
Stars Captain Jamie Benn evened the score at 1-1 before the period was out, followed by tallies from Radek Faksa and Jason Spezza, who scored less than a minute apart midway through the second, to give Dallas a 3-1 advantage. Before the middle frame concluded, Arvidsson took a feed from Ryan Johansen on the power play and blasted home his first career man-advantage tally and his eighth of the season to bring the Preds to within one.
Nashville continued to press in the third, hitting a number of posts before Dallas ultimately closed things out.
“We battled until the end, and we generated a lot of chances and hit the post a bunch of times,” goaltender Pekka Rinne said. “It doesn’t count, but it shows that we still generated a lot. It’s too bad we didn’t get the tying goal, but it’s disappointing. We had two games here to have a chance to clinch the playoff spot and couldn’t do it, so just have to go to Pittsburgh and hopefully get it done over there.”
Having played three games in the last four days, the Preds will get a much needed day of rest on Wednesday before facing the Penguins at Consol Energy Center on Thursday night, with playoff implications continuing to exist.
“The main thing right now is it’s right after the game, and we’re not happy with the result, but it’s important to get a big day of rest tomorrow,” Johansen said. “We’ve had a back-to-back, it’s late in the season and we really need to take these days and manage our bodies well, get some good meals and good sleep in us, and just get back to work when we get into Pittsburgh and try and take care of business there.”
The Predators take on Pittsburgh on Thursday night with the puck drop scheduled for 6 PM. Thunder Radio will bring you the broadcast as part of the Fifth Third Bank/Nashville Predators Radio Network.
Ashlynn Morton of Lady Raider softball (Photo by John St.Clair – JohnStClairPhoto.com)
A five run first inning helped propel the Lady Raider softball team of Coffee County to a 9 to 1 win over Franklin County on Monday night. The Lady Raiders got off to a fast start as Raven Rogers laced the 2nd pitch of the game to the fence in right field for a triple. Coffee County sent 12 hitters to the plate as they scored 5 unearned runs on 3 hits, 2 walks and 2 errors by Franklin County. Ashlynn Morton had the big hit of the inning as she drove in 3 Lady Raiders with a 2 out single. Morton and Abby Woods each finished with 2 hits on the game to lead Coffee County as Morton collected 4 RBI in the game. Kaylee Skipper went the distance for the win allowing 1 earned run on 6 hits while striking out 7. The win improves Skippers record to 4 and 2 on the season as Coffee County improved to 3 and 0 on the year in district play. Coffee County returns home on Tuesday night for a 7 PM game against Columbia at Terry Floyd Field.
A 3 run triple in the bottom of the 7th inning by the Forrest Rockets capped a come from behind win for the home team as Westwood saw their run of back luck continue on Monday night. Westwood built a 4 to 2 lead going into the 7th inning behind a strong pitching performance from Skylar Bratcher. Austin Burch and Nick Smith each had doubles for Westwood who had 4 hits on the night. In the 7th, Forrest loaded the bases on a single and a pair of walks before the 1 out triple ended the game. Westwood will be off until Monday, April 4th for Spring Break when they travel to Lynchburg for a 4 PM game with Moore County.
The Coffee County Middle School baseball team saw the South Franklin Gators rally back from a 2 run first inning deficit to drop the Red Raiders 11 to 9 on Monday night in middle school baseball. The Raiders had 8 hits on the night and earned 7 walks on the night. Trey Rogers led the Raiders in hitting with 3 hits while Hayden Skipper and Brandon Jernigan each scored 3 runs apiece as Skipper walked twice and was hit by a pitch. Jernigan had a single and 2 walks for Coffee County. The Raiders will attempt to get revenge in game #2 of the series on Tuesday when South visits CCMS.
Southern Illinois University pitcher Brianna Jones (Photo courtesy of Saluki Media Services)
Southern Illinois pitcher, and former Coffee County Lady Raider, Brianna Jones was named the Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week, the league announced Monday. Jones won three games and saved a fourth in SIU’s 4-0 week, and she had an 0.00 ERA in 16.2 innings.
Jones pitched two complete-game shutouts against Illinois State, raising her season total to an NCAA-best eight shutouts this season. She earned three wins and a save in Southern’s four games, all wins, and she allowed only nine hits, limiting opponents to a .161 average. She struck out 10 while walking only two and lowered her season ERA to an MVC-best 1.41. She also picked up wins Nos. 13, 14 and 15, which also leads the conference and ranks fifth nationally.
Jones earned the honor for the third time this year. She has also earned MVC Newcomer of the Week twice. This week, Drake’s Megan Sowa was named MVC Player of the Week and DU’s Kennedy Frank was named Newcomer of the Week. SIU (20-8, 5-0 MVC) and Drake (16-11, 6-0 MVC) are the only two teams undefeated in MVC play, and they square off in Des Moines, Iowa, for a three-game series this weekend.
UP NEXT: SIU travels to SIUE for a 4 p.m. game on Wednesday, March 30.
It could have been a night for modest celebration for the Predators.
A regulation win against the reeling Avalanche would have sealed the their return to the playoffs and potentially buried their Central Division rival’s attempt to do the same.
Neither of those things happened Monday, with the Predators putting forth a lifeless start that ended in a 4-3 loss.
The Predators haven’t been perfect during the six-week turnaround that put them in a position to clinch a playoff spot Monday, but forgettable performances like what transpired at Bridgestone Arena have been rare, if not nonexistent.
After setting a franchise record Saturday by taking 27 shots in the first period, Nashville fell behind 3-0 within the first 12 minutes to a shorthanded Colorado team missing its two leading scorers, forwards Matt Duchene and Nathan MacKinnon, because of knee injuries. In an attempt to grab his team’s attention, Predators coach Peter Laviolette pulled goaltender Pekka Rinne for the first time this season after he allowed those goals on 10 shots.
Predators forward Craig Smith scored a much-needed goal late in the first period to cut Nashville’s deficit to 3-1, but after a Predators goal was disallowed in the second period after the Avalanche successfully challenged that the play was offside, Avalanche forward Shawn Matthias scored with less than 10 minutes left in the third period to restore Colorado’s three-goal lead.
Two Predators goals in 24 seconds from forward Colton Sissons and defenseman Roman Josi gave Nashville a significant late-game momentum boost.
The Predators return to the ice on Tuesday night for a 7:30 PM game in Dallas. Thunder Radio will bring you the broadcast of the game immediately following our broadcast of Coffee County Central High School baseball.
Riley Long, Motlow sophomore pitcher (File Photo by Jeff Reed Photography).
Sophomore Riley Long pitched a complete-game shutout and Aubrey Crowell and McKenzie Jo Anderson hit home runs as the Motlow Lady Bucks beat Roane State 10-0 Saturday afternoon to win three out of four games over the weekend against their Tennessee Community College Athletic Association (TCCAA) rival.
The Lady Bucks (14-14, 7-9) have won nine of their previous 10 games heading into this weekend’s home series against TCCAA opponent Volunteer State. The Lady Bucks and Lady Pioneers will begin their four-game series Friday at 1 p.m. and conclude it Saturday at noon. Admission is free to all Motlow athletic events.
Motlow beat Roane State 1-0 in Friday’s opening game before dropping the second game 9-6. The Lady Bucks came back strong on Saturday, winning the opener 4-3 before clinching the series with their final-game shutout.
Long combined with Cameron Pearson in the circle during Friday’s opener to allow only five hits while striking out eight Lady Raider batters. Motlow managed seven hits but could only plate one run when Ashton Watkins drove in Caroline Abernethy with a fifth inning triple.
Game two featured a pair of controversial calls, neither of which went Motlow’s way. The Lady Bucks led 6-4 heading into the bottom of the seventh before the home team scored twice and sent the game into extra innings. Long took the loss after relieving Pearson in the third inning. Summer Carter led Motlow’s offense with three hits, while Abernethy drove in a pair of runs.
The Lady Bucks had a two-run homer wiped off the scoreboard in the eighth after Lauren Hasty drove one over the fence. Umpires ruled the Lady Bucks celebrated illegally by stepping onto the field of play before Hasty crossed home plate.
Saturday’s first game was a tight battle that Motlow won 4-3. Pearson went the first five innings in the circle with Long pitching the final two. They combined to scatter eight hits and allow only two earned runs. Abernethy and Watkins each had two hits and Taylor Wolaver hit her second home run of the season.
The series finale went all Motlow’s way, led by Long who was spectacular in the circle by striking out two and not allowing a walk. Crowell and Anderson each had three RBI, with Crowell hitting her second homer of the season and Anderson her first.
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The Red Raider baseball team completed a weekend sweep of Warren County on Saturday at Powers Field with a crushing 11 to 0 victory over the Pioneers. Nathaniel Tate was splendid on the mound as the sophomore pitched a complete game 2 hitter to get the win. Tate struck out the last 2 batters he faced in the 5th inning of the Mercy Rule shortened game to be named the Thunder Radio player of the game. At the plate, Tate had a double and 2 RBI. The Raiders banged out 8 hits led by Zach Wise who was 2 for 2 and reached base after being hit by a pitch. Gavin Husted also was perfect on the day with a hit and a pair of walks. Both Wise and Husted scored 3 runs apiece. The Raiders return to district play on Tuesday when they welcome Lawrence County to Powers Field. The game has been designated as Pink Out Night – Breast Cancer Awareness Night. Thunder Radio will bring you the broadcast of the 5:30 PM game beginning with the pregame show at 5:20.
CHS Pitcher Raven Rogers(Photo by John StClair – JohnStClairPhoto.com)
The Lady Raider softball team finished the Warrior Classic with a 3 and 2 record after dropping their final 2 contests on Saturday. Against Scott County, Kentucky, the Lady Raiders tied the game at 3 to 3 in the 3rd inning before the Cardinals pushed across 4 unearned runs late to take a 7 to 3 win. Raven Rogers had 2 hits and scored 2 runs for Coffee County. In the finale against Walsh Jesuit of Ohio, the Lady Raiders were held to 2 hits in an 8 to 0 loss. Shannah Frame and Ashlynn Morton each had singles for Coffee County. The Lady Raiders kick off a busy week with a Monday night trip to Winchester to take on Franklin County for a 7 PM district game. The Lady Raiders are at home on Tuesday and Wednesday for 7 PM games with Columbia and Lincoln County respectively for a pair of district contests.
