An offensive showcase was on display by Soddy-Daisy’s softball team in Monday’s 14-7 season-opening home win over Silverdale Baptist.
Seven of the Lady Trojans’ 15 hits went for extra bases while Tatum Massengale and Riley Renfro each homered and drove in two runs. Jenna Sims also starred in the win with three hits and Abby Faires drove in a team-high three runs. Massengale also made highlight plays defensively at shortstop.
Silverdale jumped ahead early, scoring four runs in the first inning, but did not score again until the sixth. Bentlee Stiner collected three hits and had a two-run double in the first for the Lady Seahawks.
BASEBALL
> Silverdale Baptist 3, Boyd Buchanan 0: Senior slugger Sebastian Hanks smashed solo home runs in the top of the second and fifth innings and scored three runs for the Seahawks. Winning pitcher Turner Junkins was dominant on the mound as the hard-throwing right-hander struck out 10 batters, walked none and allowed five singles. Eric Boggess earned the save. Boyd Buchanan’s trio of pitchers Perry Griffin, Cooper Jones and Brody Johnston combined for 13 strikeouts while allowing four hits.
> Sale Creek 5, Arts & Sciences 2: The Panthers did their damage with a four-run top of the fourth in the season opener. Standouts Jakob Elrod and Camden Penny each drove in a pair of runs while Elrod had two hits and stole three bases. Justin Griffin went 2-for-4 with two runs scored while Brayden Grimes, Maverick McCary and Penny struck out 10 CSAS batters. Penny picked up the save with three strikeouts in 1 1/3 innings.
> Baylor 4, Upperman 3: Carson Yates opened the season with a bang as the future MTSU product launched solo home runs in the bottom of the fourth and sixth innings. Patrick Johnson was masterful on the mound striking out nine over five scoreless innings to pick up the win. Baylor’s Mack Whitcomb homered in the victory while John Emendorfer doubled twice and Amari Jefferson had a triple and scored a run.
> South Pittsburg 1, Grundy County 0: Neither team managed to get a hit until Coy Hackney drilled a pinch-hit walk-off home run to lift the Pirates to the win. Sophomore Luke Rector pitched six innings without allowing a hit and struck out 10 before Kamden Wellington came on in the seventh to complete the no-hitter.
> Chattanooga Christian 5, Chattanooga Patriots 2: William Wall had three hits and Cooper Kay struck out 11 over five no-hit innings.
> Heritage 6, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe 5: Brady Chandler was 2-for-4 with an RBI and run scored and Taylor Vinson had two RBIs to lead the Generals to the Catoosa County victory. Dylan Blankenship had a three-run homer for LFO.
> Coosa 6-10, Dade County 4-0: Coosa’s Cody King and Trent Cantrell struck out 18 over 12 innings in the Region 7-AA sweep. King gave up three hits and Cantrell none in a five-inning game-two win. Zeke Wheeler and Brayden Nethery had RBIs for the Wolverines in game one.
> Notre Dame 14, Grace Academy 1
> East Hamilton 8, Red Bank 1
SOFTBALL
> American Christian Academy (Ala.) 4, Walker Valley 2; Walker Valley 1, Saltillo (Miss.) 1: Sierra Brown had three hits and a pair of RBIs in two games at the Gulf Shores Classic. Addy Girard tossed six quality innings in the tie against Saltillo, while Hannah Guffey had two hits against American Christian.
> Meigs County 4, Bradley Central 3: Lainey Fitzgerald struck out 13 Bearettes while Lady Tigers’ leadoff hitter Toryn Lawson had the g0-ahead RBI single to right field in the bottom of the fourth inning. Bradley Central’s Macy Chastain went 3-for-4 with a double.
> McMinn County 10, McMinn Central 0: The Lady Cherokees scored seven runs in the bottom of the third inning which was highlighted by a 3-run homer from Sadie Brazzell. Lexi Cooley doubled twice and stole two bases while driving in a pair. Taylor Hancock had three hits and Reagan Wade homered for McMinn County. McKenzie Wall allowed just one hit over five frames.
> Central 4, Howard 1: Kierston Williams struck out nine and only allowed two hits while Dasha Ware had two hits and an RBI double in the victory.
> Chattanooga Christian 10, Ooltewah 3: Hannah Blevins drove in three runs for the Lady Chargers and Emily Matthews had three hits in the victory. CCS’ Autumn Hughes fanned 11 batters over seven complete frames.
SOCCER
> Soddy-Daisy 2, Coffee County 0: Jensen Harbaugh and Luke Cabe scored goals while Paxton Steele had an assist for the Trojans who outshot their opponent 14-2.
> Silverdale Baptist 6, Rockwood 0: The Seahawks built a 4-0 halftime lead as John Mayo scored twice and Logan Hamilton added another. Clay Connor had two assists and Silverdale Baptist outshot Rockwood 19-0.
TENNIS
McCallie’s tennis team begins the season ranked No. 1 nationally according to the latest Universal Tennis high school national team rankings. Harvard Westlake from Los Angeles and Saint Andrew’s in Boca Raton, Florida, round out the nation’s top three.
The Blue Tornado have won back-to-back Division II-AA State Championships in 2019 and 2021 – the TSSAA did not hold a state tournament in 2020 due to the outbreak of the pandemic.
The Blue Tornado has a 32-1 dual match record since 2019 and returns all six singles starters from last spring’s 15-0 season and five of the six doubles starters. Andreas Sillaste, a junior, was the Region singles champion and state semifinalist at the No. 1 singles position in 2021. He and teammate Colin Tuttle went undefeated at No. 1 doubles. Senior Will Leathers and sophomore Gabe Getz won the state doubles title last spring and were undefeated in doubles matches. Leathers also played No. 2 singles. Tuttle, a senior, was undefeated in all dual matches at No. 3 and 4 singles last season. He was a Region singles finalist and advanced to the state singles quarterfinals.
TRACK & FIELD
Baylor School junior Evie Culbreath earned All-American honors during last weekend’s NSAF’s Nike Indoor Nationals pentathlon at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex on Staten Island, NY. Culbreath finished fourth overall.