Lee University gets the area diamond sports underway today with a softball doubleheader beginning at noon in Cleveland against Bellarmine from Louisville, Ky. Lee was 36-19 and 18-11 in Gulf South Conference games last year and finished third in the Christian college national tournament.
The Lady Flames’ NCAA Division II transition is over now, and they were picked to finish fifth in the rugged GSC behind preseason favorite Valdosta State, Alabama-Huntsville, Shorter and North Alabama. Former Lee ace Emily Russell is in her 14th year as coach of her alma mater, and Lee has won 40 or more games in six of the previous 13.
Senior shortstop Amanda Lynn and senior first baseman Lexie Dean were preseason All-GSC selections after batting .352 and .417 last year, Lynn with 32 stolen bases, and senior Angie Hughes and sophomore Leigh Beatenbough are back as proven pitchers. Beatenbough had a 3.05 earned run average in 2015, when Hughes was 18-9 with a 3.27 ERA and 196 strikeouts in 173 1/3 innings.
‘ Kentucky senior pitcher Kelsey Nunley from Soddy-Daisy and Tennessee senior Rainey Gaffin were named to the 14-player preseason All-SEC softball team voted on by the league coaches. Kentucky’s all-time winningest pitcher, Nunley had 14 wins and a 2.42 earned run average last season. Gaffin was picked as the designated player/utility player. She was 17-4 with a 2.17 ERA as a pitcher and batted .315 with 58 hits and 46 runs scored.
Soccer
‘ At one time Samantha Green thought her senior soccer season at Hixson High School would be her last in the sport. A 4.0 student, the three-time Best of Preps first-team selection intended to concentrate on academics in college. But on Friday she signed a letter of intent to attend and play for Tennessee Wesleyan College, and both she and 10th-year TWC coach Naomi Kolarova seemed delighted. “Once our season started and we started getting into games, I realized I wasn’t ready to give it up yet,” said Green, who had 141 goals and 27 assists in her high school career and led the city in goals scored multiple times. “I’ve never had another one like her,” Hixson coach Jeff Dean said. “She’s the hardest working kid I’ve ever had here.” Kolarova noted that Green has “done really well in high school, but obviously college is a totally different level. I think she can do fine, though. She’s smart, she’s strong and powerful, and she can shoot from anywhere. At the end of October she came for a campus tour and training session, and she did really well.” Said Green: “I loved how close-knit the team was, and the campus is small and close to home. It just felt really good.”
Basketball
‘ Cleveland State won both of its TCCAA basketball games Friday against visiting Volunteer State, 86-75 for the Cougars and 76-46 for the Lady Cougars, who got 16 points and eight rebounds from Ny’Asia Holmes and 14 points from Jaclyn Griffith. Darrion Leslie had 32 points and 13 rebounds, Lawrence Castor had 20 points and 18 rebounds and Courtland Crutcher had five steals in the men’s win.
‘ Corey Caulder scored 18 points and Bella Taylor added 14 plus six steals and five assists as Sewanee overcame a 14-point deficit and won 64-60 in Southern Athletic Association women’s basketball Friday. Jamie Chauvin and Katie Roth each tallied 10 points in the win. Sewanee also won the men’s game, 68-64, as Cody Jones scored 21 points, Jacob McCullough added 13 and Keshonn Carter grabbed nine rebounds.
‘ Despite 28 points from Aleigha Williams, including four 3-point baskets, the Covenant women’s basketball team lost 60-55 to visiting Greensboro College in a USA South doubleheader Friday. Greensboro’s men won 81-79. T.J. Cox led five Scots double-figure scorers with 15 points and had five assists. Rachel Price had eight rebounds for the Lady Scots.
Staff Reports