Friday, January 1, 1904
Lee University shortstop Josh Silver and outfielder Derrick Pitts joined pitchers Andy Hillis and Jose Samayoa on the All-Southern States Athletic Conference baseball first team for 2013, and Flames pitchers Myles Smith and Clint Terry, catcher Danny Canela, designated hitter/outfielder Corey Davis and infielder Mark Silva made the second team. Silver also was on the league's Gold Glove team. The No. 2 seeded and nationally third-ranked Flames opened SSAC tournament play Tuesday in Columbus, Ga., with a 4-2 win over Brewton-Parker, which includes player of the year Jon Kemmer. He was 1-for-2 with both RBIs and Eddie Peyton had two hits and scored both runs for the Barons (23-20). Brandon Rader was 1-for-2 with two RBIs on a walk and a double for the Flames, who totaled only four hits. Leadoff man Brady Renner was 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored. Terry (9-1) allowed three hits in his seven innings, and Hillis got save No. 9 of the season.
• Eighth-ranked and defending NAIA champion Tennessee Wesleyan beat Montreat 10-3. Tuesday night in the Appalachian Athletic Conference baseball tournament in Kingsport, Tenn., after seventh-seeded Bryan lost 9-4 to second seed Union College. Bryan (29-25) plays third-seeded St. Andrews in an elimination game this morning. Wesleyan (40-15) faces Reinhardt, a 9-1 winner over fourth seed Milligan, in tonight's 7:30 game. Tuesday for Bryan, Kevin Layne and Cody Rhinehart each was 2-for-4 and Rhinehart, Blake Smith and Joey Underwood had RBIs. Gabby Juarbe had two hits and three RBIs for Union (30-21).
• Although freshman Sam Taylor from Gordon Lee stretched her hitting streak to 14 games with a first-inning single, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team couldn't get her or anyone else home in a 3-0 loss Tuesday at Alabama-Birmingham. Stephanie Rieck was 2-for-3 for the Lady Mocs (26-22), who complete their regular season this Saturday and Sunday with three Southern Conference games at Elon. Kristen McGrath was 2-for-3 with a third-inning three-run home run for UAB (33-13), which got six-hit pitching from Lannah Campbell. Taylor Deason (16-10) pitched the whole game for UTC.
• Berry College freshman Abby Daniels from Ooltewah was voted softball newcomer of the year in the Southern Athletic Association and was the first-team All-SAA catcher. She wound up fourth in the league with a .412 batting average and hit five home runs. Sewanee third baseman Sarah Fleming and shortstop Kayla Sewell received honorable mention.
• The league-champion Sewanee lacrosse teams each had three of the four top award winners plus a host of All-SAA players for 2013. For the Sewanee men, Michael Morris was the men's offensive player of the year, Slater Ottenritter was the defensive player of the year and Mart Watters was coach of the year. For the female Tigers, Alexis Crittenden was the SAA defensive player of the year, goalkeeper Sammy Strasburger was the newcomer of the year and Michele Dombrowski was coach of the year. Crittenden and Strasburger were joined on the women's All-SAA first team by teammates Olivia Vietor, Molly Arnold, Sally Anne Greenwood and Anna Morrow, and Ellie Murphy and Mallory Grimm were second-team selections. GPS graduate Sarah Mastey of Centre made the first team, and Centre defender Annie Jonakin from Signal Mountain made the second team. Another GPS alumna at Centre, Audrey Powers, earned honorable mention along with Sewanee's Chelsea Staunton and Emily Hylton. Besides Morris and Ottenritter, the Sewanee men's first-team All-SAA players were Davis Brown, Chris Ryan and Hal Smith, and second-team picks were Reed Daniel and Brandon Barrett, along with Baylor graduate Patrick Vaughn of Centre as the face-off specialist. Sewanee's Tommy Healy, Pierce Leonard, James Millard, Cotter Brown and Rory Devine received honorable mention.
• Retired Lee University coach Jack Souther died Monday evening, and the Cleveland school plans a memorial service for him Sunday at 2 p.m. at Walker Arena. Souther retired as a schools superintendent in Ohio, where he also refereed basketball, and came to Lee and started another career. He directed the women's basketball team to the program's first NCCAA national championship in 1985 and went 218-132 from 1983 to '93. He also had success in men's golf (1992-2008) and coached softball for three years. "Coach Souther made an immediate impact on the Lee athletic program and served as an important part of our coaching staff for 30 years," Dr. Paul Conn, Lee's president, said in a school release. "He really cared about all sports and continued to support all the programs, even after his retirement." Also praising Souther's candor at all times, Dr. Conn said, "He will be deeply missed." Added athletic director Larry Carpenter: "Coach was passionate, honest and loyal to his athletes, fellow coaches and Lee. We will miss him tremendously." The school's intramural field has been named "Jack Souther Field" since 2006.