The Lighthouse Lookouts/Athletic Shop men's 50-over slowpitch softball team from Chattanooga successfully defended its major division title in the SPA Winternational Championships last weekend in Pensacola, Fla. Once again the Lighthouse Lookouts edged Doc C's from Pensacola in the winners-bracket final and rebounded from a subsequent loss to the same team to win the championship. After going 1-1 in pool play against AAA teams (having to spot each of them six runs and falling by one in the loss), the Lookouts beat the Georgia Impact Legends 26-19 before scoring 10 runs in the bottom of the last inning to clip Doc C's 30-29. The Lookouts trailed 19-9 in the third inning and scored seven runs with two outs to get close. The winning rally included four runs with two outs, with Art Pendergrass hitting a tying two-run single and his pinch runner, Van Shumaker, then scoring on Blake Parham's triple down the right-field line. Doc C's won the first final 27-21 but then lost 24-16 as Mike Wood went 3-for-3 with two home runs and six RBIs for the Lookouts. Shortstop Shumaker was named the most valuable player after batting .880 with six homers and 11 RBIs in the tournament, and joining him as "all-world" were Wood (.864, 4 HRs, 12 RBIs); Roger Smith (.800, 5, 14); Parham (.783); Steve Moffett (.750, 6, 11) and Jeff Jones (.750). Also hitting .650 or better for manager Rex Elmore's team were Al Cox (.714, 10 RBIs), Rodney Waters (.667, 7 HRs), Stacy Powell (.667) and Tony Bartley (.650).
Soccer
* Lee University forward David Perez, a Northwest Whitfield High School graduate, was chosen the Gulf South Conference men's soccer offensive player of the week for the fifth time in the seven it has been awarded this season. He leads the GSC with 15 goals, including three in a 5-3 win over Delta State and one in the 2-1 defeat of Mississippi College last week. The Flames (10-2-2) moved up to 11th in the Division II national rankings. Lee's Lauren Peters was the GSC women's freshman of the week after scoring once in each of the Lady Flames' two matches.
* Tennessee Wesleyan College's men's team won 2-0 at home against Truett-McConnell in AAC play Wednesday, with the Bulldogs (8-6-1, 5-3-1) scoring both goals in the first half. Austin Kenney scored in the 21st minute, with Nduka Kemjika - who has a team-best eight goals -assisted by Kevin Witton on the second score in the 40th minute. Daniel O'Hare recorded four saves in goal to earn the shutout, the fourth time this season TWC has held an opponent scoreless.
* Bryan hosted Kentucky's Union College in an Appalachian Athletic Conference doubleheader Wednesday. Bryan won the men's match 3-2 in overtime to improve to 9-4-2 overall and 6-0-1 in the AAC. The women's match finished 2-2 after two periods of overtime, with the Lady Lions now 3-6-4 overall and 0-2-3 in AAC play.
Volleyball
* Covenant cruised to a 3-0 home win over Wesleyan on Wednesday, with the Lady Scots beating the Macon, Ga., program 25-12, 25-13, 25-9 in nonconference action. Covenant (14-9), which has an 11-game winning streak going in USA South play, was led by Schuyler Moore (18 assists, nine digs) and Jessica Seehorn (10 digs, six kills, four assists). Hannah Harris recorded five aces, Caroline McLeod had three and Mariah Corney and Hannah Stewart had two apiece. Ginny Moore added five kills and three digs, while Stewart also had five digs, McLeod had four and Corney had three. Olivia Becker chipped in five kills and a pair of blocks.
Golf
* The Georgia Northwestern Technical College men's golf team finished fifth in the seven-team Walters State Invitational tournament Tuesday at the Country Club of Morristown, behind NCAA Division II schools Tusculum and Carson-Newman and two Walters State teams. GNTC's Chase Cole tied for 10th individually, and Jordan Estes and Tucker Venable tied for 13th.