The Lee University softball team opens the area diamond season with two home games today against Montevallo, beginning at 2 p.m., and six true freshmen all are expected to be in the starting lineup in at least one of the two. Those include pitcher Abby McKinney from Ringgold High School, second baseman and catcher Brooklynn Frazier from Heritage High and Taylor Moran from Silverdale Baptist Academy at first base. Bailey Church from Texas is another freshman who will start at catcher, while Zoe Miller from Suwanee, Ga., plays both second and first and Kayla Louie from Snellville, Ga., will be at shortstop. Moran also is a new pitcher on the staff headed by junior Leigh Beatenbough, whose return to health from an injury corresponded with the Lady Flames' closing surge to a plus-.500 record last year. They wound up 25-24-1 and 11-20-1 in the Gulf South Conference but won 13 of their last 16 games. Beatenbough won seven of her last eight decisions. Sophomore third baseman Stevie Baird and senior center fielder Courtney Crawford - the latter from Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe by way of Chattanooga State - are returning starters who batted .361 and .349 and each stole 12 bases in 13 tries in 2016, and senior Rachel Polacek in left field and sophomore Macy Stovall and redshirt freshman Allison Meadows from Silverdale in right complete the likely combinations today. Coach Emily Russell, a former Lee ace who has six seasons of 40 or more wins in her 14 years running the program, believes her young Lady Flames not only give the fans good expectations for the next few years but anticipated excitement for this one, despite the toughness of the GSC. "Based on what I've seen from them so far, they're going to do OK," Russell said. "They enjoy the game and know we can't have covered every situation, so we may make some mistakes but we'll learn from them. Their job is to commuicate and be athletic." The Lady Flames will play Saturday and Sunday in a tournament at Columbus, Ga., and the Lee baseball team will host Catawba in three games Saturday and Sunday. Several other area college teams get underway this weekend, including the Chattanooga State softball team in a tournament in Panama City, Fla., and the Chattanooga State baseball Tigers playing Friday and Saturday against Georgia Highlands in Emerson, Ga.
Tennis
* Chattanooga's Wesley Cash and his partner for multiple USTA national doubles championships the last few years, Mark Vines of Naples, Fla., have moved up into the men's 60-64 age group and won 6-1, 6-2 in their opening match Tuesday in a tournament in Naples. The event is at The Club at Sterling Oaks.
Basketball
* Covenant College shot 52 percent from the field in defeating Sewaneee 73-56 in NCAA Division III nonconference men's basketball Tuesday on Lookout Mountain. Z Arima scored 15 points and Caleb Haynes, Bailey Spragg and Will Portlock added 13, 12 and 10 for the winning Scots (10-10), Spragg with four 3-point baskets. Berto Dryden had five assists and three steals. Sewanee (12-8) shot 36.2 percent, including 3-of-19 on 3s. Jorden Williams led the Tigers with 12 points, while Brody Stone and Adrian Thomas scored 11 and 10 with nine rebounds apiece.
* Maryville College rose to 10-0 in USA South women's basketball, 18-3 overall, with a 74-47 win Tuesday night at Covenant. Only Joanna Smith with 14 points scored more than six for Covenant (8-11, 2-7). Rachel Hawn led Maryville with 16 points and seven rebounds.
Wrestling
* Cumberland University freshman wrestler Will Patton from McCallie School lost his first match but then won four, by a forfeit and three pins, before losing again in the 157-pound class at the Cumberland Open last Saturday. Phoenix senior teammate Nate Croley won the weight class, defeating Reinhardt freshman Tucker Russo from Soddy-Daisy 8-3 in the finals. Cumberland senior Christian Varner from Hixson went 3-2 at 197.