Even though it was his birthday, veteran lefty Drew Smyly gifted the Braves with an impressive performance to lead the Braves to a 6-4 victory over the Marlins on Sunday at loanDepot park to end the three-game set.  You heard the game live on Thunder Radio. This is the second time in his career that he has made a start on his birthday. The first came in 2014 when Smyly, back then with Detroit, allowed one run and four hits in six innings against the Twins.  In the top of the first, the Braves got off to an early start with a leadoff single by Ronald Acuña Jr. Freddie Freeman followed it up with his seventh double...

Lane Spry. Action photo and graphic by Holly Peterson, Thunder Radio. Lane Spry was an anchor for the Central High School Red Raider baseball team in the 2021 spring season – both offensively and defensively. After graduating last month, Spry now has a college to call home. Spry will be continuing his academic and athletic careers at Roane State Community College in East Tennessee, where he will play baseball. “I would like to thank God, my family and all of my coaches who helped get me to this point,” said Spry. Spry was a constant behind the plate for...

Coffee County’s Lady Raider basketball team ran away with three camp games on the road Thursday – beating Brentwood 43-27, Mt. Juliet 62-22 and White House Heritage 60-18. The Lady Raiders will be back at it on Friday before returning to Manchester for camp games next week. On Thursday, CHS flexed its post game with rising junior Chloe Gannon, who scored 18, 14 and 17 in three games. Senior Kiya Ferrell, who has returned to the basketball court after taking last year off, worked her way into double digits with 11 points against Mt. Juliet. Senior Elli Chumley put...

With 102 games remaining, the Braves hope to avoid the frustration they have felt over the past two months, but especially the past two days at Citizens Bank Park. “It’s been a challenge the first couple of months,” first baseman Freddie Freeman said. “You can let it go one way, but I think we’re too good of a team to let it go that way. So I think we’re just gonna keep fighting back, keep fighting back and we’ll get going here soon.” Freeman expressed this hope shortly after Atlanta (29-31) blew a 10th-inning lead and suffered a walk-off loss for...

Coffee County Central Red Raider basketball team will host a skills camp from June 21-23 for aspiring basketball players. The camp will cost $50 and will be from 9 a.m. until noon on June 21, 22 and 23. Camp is open for kids entering third through 8th grade in the upcoming school year. Boys and girls are welcome. Concession will be open. There will be contests, prizes and t-shirts. Campers can register at 8 a.m. June 21 at Joe Frank Patch Gym at...

Shelbyville Central’s football team – one of Coffee County Central High School’s new region opponents – has caught a break from the TSSAA. The TSSAA Board of Control on Wednesday approved that Shelbyville and Franklin County football teams are now both eligible for the 2021 playoffs. The two schools were involved in a fight last season and were placed on probation that included a postseason ban for 2021. That has now been lifted. Both teams were placed on “restrictive probation.” A Shelbyville postseason ban in 2021 would have effectively guaranteed the Coffee County Red Raiders a trip to the...

Ronald Acuña Jr. hit one of the most impressive homers you can see. But the value of his powerful three-hit night may have actually been trumped by the ones constructed by Austin Riley and William Contreras. Anyone who witnessed the monstrous solo shot Acuña hit in the third inning might still be talking about it decades from now. But that solo shot wasn’t any more important than the key hits Riley and Contreras tallied during a five-run eighth that gave the Braves a 9-5 comeback win over the Phillies on Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park. “That was just a good, hard-fought win,”...