The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team got a complete game from freshman pitcher Mariah Ramirez in winning its season opener Friday, 6-3 over Ohio University in the Phyllis Rafter Memorial Tournament at Kennesaw State. Ohio was the 2018 Mid-American Conference champion. Ramirez struck out six batters and allowed a double and seven singles, and her teammates got her four runs in the first inning with the help of three walks, a hit-by-pitchh and a throwing error. Aly Walker had two RBI singles and Amanda Beltran an RBI hit for the Mocs, and Emma Sturdivant scored twice.
» Lee University beat Molloy 8-1 and lost 7-2 to Florida Tech in the NFCA Leadoff Classic at Clearwater, Florida. Taylor De Adder and Stevie Baird combined to pitch a five-hitter in the win, when Bailey Church was 2-for-3 with a triple and three RBIs and Zoe Miller was 2-for-3 with a double and three runs scored for the Lady Flames (4-3). Brooklynn Frazier doubled and singled and Kayla Louie scored and had an RBI single in the loss.
Fishing
» Buddy Gross of Chickamauga, Georgia, moved up a spot to fifth place Friday in the FLW Tour bass tournament on Lake Toho at Kissimmee, Florida. He had 42 pounds, 4 ounces through two rounds. Only 30 pros go back out today, out of the 170 who started, and John Cox of DeBary, Florida, remained the leader with 48-13. Miles Burghoff of Hixson had a good second day at 18-7 and finished 36th at 29-4, and former Ooltewah resident Jay Kendrick of Grant, Alabama, was 43rd at 28-5. They each received $10,000.
Tennis
» The UTC women's tennis team takes a 3-2 record and three-match win streak to Belmont tonight after winning 7-0 at Tennessee State (2-2) on Friday. Bogdona Zaporozhets, Polina Goloputova, Lilly Holmes and Emma Van Hee won in both doubles and singles, and Caroline Hall and Anna Didkovskaya also won in singles. Delaney Edwards and Annie Tarwater were on victorious duos.
» Lee's tennis teams opened 2019 play with 7-0 wins at North Greenville with doubles-singles sweeps by Jake Okines, Bruno Medeiros, Jesus Garcia Gil, Cristian Pons, Daniel Prata and Antonio Pons for the men and Lauren Trammell, Lisa Kirr, Carley Sickinger, Francesa Tondi, Belen Maiz and Asia Grzegrzolka for the Lady Flames.
Basketball
» Will Crumly scored 24 points on 9-of-11 shooting and Bailey Spragg contributed 17 points, eight rebounds and seven assists as Covenant College won 79-67 in USA South men's basketball Friday at Brevard. James Mitchell hit four 3-point baskets for 12 points for the Scots (15-7, 4-1), and Mitchell Hollis had five assists with nine points.
Baseball
» Miguel Pimentel went 4-for-5 with two RBIs and Tyler Payne was 2-for-4 and scored three runs, but their Lee University baseball team opened its weekend series at 23rd-ranked Saint Leo with a 6-4 loss Friday. Saint Leo (4-1) scored four runs in the first inning. Lee is 3-2.
» Bryan College won 4-3 in 10 innings and lost 11-9 in its home doubleheader against Madonna. The Lions are 4-2. Hakeem Stargell was 2-for-3 with a three-run double and the 10th-inning intentional walk that immediately preceded Tyler Scott's winning hit-by-pitch in game one, and Gabe Howell and Marcus Catalano each was 2-for-5. Howell drove in three runs and Stargell scored three in the Bryan loss, when David Scoggins was 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs and Wade Weinburger was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run. Madonna's Gordon Ferguson homered in each game and batted in five runs.
» Sewanee opened its season with a 7-3 win over Guilford in the Huntingdon Firehouse Classic in Montgomery. Starting pitcher Trey Holland allowed one hit and struck out six in his five innings, and Chris McNulty was 2-for-4 with two RBIs for the Tigers. Carter Huffman was 2-for-2 and scored two runs, and Jack Galanek walked twice and scored twice.
» Covenant lost 5-0 in its season opener Friday at Oglethorpe, which visits the Scots for two games today. Covenant got four hits, all singles.
» Chattanooga State lost 4-1 on Friday to visiting West Georgia Tech and is 1-3 for the season.
» Cleveland State lost 10-5 and 10-4 at Gordon State and is 0-4. The Cougars' Caleb Hopkins was 1-for-2 with two RBIs in game one, Tucker Mendenhall was 2-for-3 in each game and Rhett Baldwin was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run in game two, when Jonathan Hickman was 2-for-3 with an RBI.