Lee University opened its softball season Friday with two wins, 4-0 over Tuskegee and 4-2 over Embry-Riddle, at the Gulf Coast Invitational in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Taylor De Adder got the pitching win with four no-hit innings in the first game and added a save for Shonna Penny's victory in game two, each giving up one run. Bailey Church had an RBI double in game one and a two-out three-run home run in the third inning of game two, when Kayla Gooch and Lily Hatcher each went 2-for-3 and scored a run, with Gooch adding an RBI. Kiley Longmire was 2-for-4 and Hatcher 1-for-2 against Tuskegee, each with an RBI and a run.
Baseball
» Chattanooga State opened its season Friday with a 7-6 road win over Georgia Highlands. The teams play a doubleheader today.
» Tennessee Wesleyan, ranked 12th in the NAIA preseason poll, is opening its season today at noon against visiting Rio Grande instead of Friday against Clarke, which received votes for the Top 25. That noon doubleheader has been reset for Sunday. Clarke plays today at No. 15 Bryan College, which lost 4-3 and won 4-2 Friday in its openers against Rio Grande. Bryan's win came with a two-out three-run rally in the sixth, with Tucker Cain's homer driving in all three. Logan Peterson was 2-for-2 with the Lions' other RBI, and A.J. Rolle was the winning pitcher in relief after Landon Mosteller struck out seven batters and gave up four hits and five walks in five innings. Leadoff batter Gabe Howell went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run in Bryan's loss, when the Ohio team scored the deciding run on a bases-load walk.
Basketball
» Covenant College rallied from a 12-point deficit and won 73-72 in a USA South men's game Friday night at Huntingdon. Will Crumly had 18 points and nine rebounds for the Scots (13-7, 12-1), who ultimately held off the Hawks after taking control with a 19-0 run spanning eight minutes. Bailey Spragg and James Mitchell scored 13 points apiece, Spragg with six assists and Mitchell with five steals, and Mitchell Hollis scored 10. The Lady Scots (7-14, 5-8) lost 89-56 at Piedmont (19-4, 13-1) with 12 points from Joanna Smith and four steals by Kaley Hallmark. Jacasia Bailey scored 27 points with six 3-point baskets for Piedmont, and Amari Price had 16 points, seven assists and seven steals.
» A Sewanee women's basketball team had not won at Hendrix since 2005 - until Friday night, when the Tigers won the Southern Athletic Association game 67-57 behind 18 points from Ellie Treanton. Kinsley Logan and Sue Kim each scored 12 for Sewanee (9-12, 3-7), and Kim and Treanton each had three steals. The Sewanee men (16-5, 5-5) lost 70-68 after leading 36-29 at halftime. Cam Caldwell had 22 points and seven rebounds and Luke Smith scored 16 points in defeat, while Hunter Buescher scored 12 and Jordan Warlick had eight rebounds.
» Darius Harding scored 24 points with five 3s and Josh Endicott had 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting plus 12 rebounds as Motlow State outlasted visiting Cleveland State 95-89 in TCCAA men's play, dropping the Cougars to 9-10, 6-6 in the league. Also for Motlow, Joshua Greer scored 12 points and Marcus Lacey had 11 points and 11 rebounds.
» Chattanooga State's men won 82-69 in a TCCAA game at Volunteer State, giving the Tigers four wins in a row and eight in 10 games.
Fishing
» Spring City resident John Murray caught 31 pounds, 8 ounces of bass Friday and finished fifth at 52-13 in the Group B elimination round of the Kissimmee Chain opening stage of Major League Fishing's new Bass Pro Tour. He and the rest of the group's top 20 were to join the 20 from Group A - including Dayton's Michael Neal and Harrison's Jacob Wheeler - in the knockout round today. Spring City's Wesley Strader finished 25th in Group B, which was led by Anthony Gagliardi of South Carolina at 71-8.