CoachT.com
Wednesday, May 16, 2001
Four Maury teams alive
The road to Chattanooga continues to get shorter, but that doesn't mean its getting any easier.
All four Maury County teams survived Monday's elimination games, but they will be challenged in Wednesday's regional championship games.
Columbia Central and Mt. Pleasant are still alive in the baseball brackets, while Columbia Central and Columbia Academy are still in the softball hunt.
While Wednesday's game is do or die for the baseball squads, the softball teams will get a chance at redemption should they lose.
The reason is that the softball state tournament brings eight teams to Chattanooga, while the baseball tournament just has four teams. Thus a loser goes on the road to sectional action Friday, while the winner is at home.
Here is a look Wednesday's action:
BASEBALL
Columbia Central (21-13)
at Murfreesboro Riverdale (28-13)
The Lions are playing in the Region 4-AAA championship for the third consecutive year dropping both previous contests to Murfreesboro Oakland.
Riverdale will be making its first championship game appearance since 1997.
Columbia Central has won eight of its last nine games, but the Warriors have also been playing well.
Riverdale took care of Coffee County 11-1 Monday behind the strong pitching of sophomore Kyle Smith. Smith struck out six, while allowing just a solo home run in the second inning.
The Warriors helped Smith by scoring six runs in the bottom of the first inning. Robert Kimbrough and Greg Haag supplied offensive sparks with home runs. Freshmen Alex Watson and Clint Alexander also had back-to-back doubles in the first inning.
The Lions will throw senior hurler Cody Goins at the Warriors, who have scored double-figure runs in each of their last three games.
First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.
Mt. Pleasant (25-6) vs. Cascade (19-8)
at Tullahoma's Grider Stadium
The Tigers, who used quality pitching performances from Adam Holt and Brandon Roberts to top Chapel Hill, will need a repeat performance to stop the Champions.
Roberts will start on the mound for Mt. Pleasant. Roberts pitched 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief against the Rockets.
Cascade surprised Summertown in its regional opener with a 5-4 victory.
The Champions got strong offensive games from Brett Young and Eric Hunt.
Mt. Pleasant has blended together five seniors and five freshman with a few sophomores and juniors to put together a solid season.
Seniors are Roberts, Adam Holt, Clay Gilliam, Kevin Wood and Blake Lovett.
These seniors would like to lead the Tigers to a state tournament berth. They were on the 1998 team that placed earned a state tournament runner-up honor.
First pitch is set for 7 p.m.
SOFTBALL
Lincoln Co. (31-16) vs. Columbia Central (20-15)
at Columbia State Community College
When the first pitch is thrown at 7 p.m., Wednesday, it will mark the fifth duel of the season between the two District 8-AAA rivals.
Lincoln County won both of the regular-season meetings. Columbia prevailed in both District 8-AAA tournament meetings in Fayetteville.
The Lady Falcons have the pitching duo of Stephanie Pike and Megan Hollis. Pike (14-8) pitched Monday's 1-0 win at Murfreesboro Oakland. Pike has been tougher on the Lady Lions this season.
Columbia relies on junior Tiffany Childress (16-12) for the bulk of its pitching.
The winner will play at home Friday against the winner of Wednesday's meeting of Chattanooga teams Red Bank and Soddy-Daisy. The loser will travel to Chattanooga.
Central's seniors are catcher Kacy Walker, first baseman Ashley Hodge and outfielders Letavia Goodman and Nikki Candler plus shortstop Jill Grooms, who is sidelined with an injury she suffered in the first meeting with Lincoln County and reinjured in the second.
Chapel Hill (38-7)
at Columbia Academy (20-12)
The two neighboring Class A rivals met only once this season with Columbia Academy prevailing in the Border War Battle at Fayetteville.
Chapel Hill rallied for four runs in the bottom of the seventh to edge Summertown 8-7 while CA halted Cornersville 3-0 in Monday's semifinal play.
CA eliminated Chapel Hill in last year's semifinal game at Chapel Hill.
The Lady Rockets utilize three pitchers, with Ann Marie Odum the lead hurler. Amanda Webb shut the door on Summertown to gain a the pitching win in relief of Odum.
Chapel Hill has a consistent hitting attack with Leigh Beasley, Odum and Kori Knight.
The Lady Bulldogs have a one-two pitching combination of Heidi Buchholz and Elizabeth Barnes.
The offensive attack is led by Candis Littrell, Hollie Sanders and Buchholz.
The first pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Bulldog Booster Park.
All four Maury County teams survived Monday's elimination games, but they will be challenged in Wednesday's regional championship games.
Columbia Central and Mt. Pleasant are still alive in the baseball brackets, while Columbia Central and Columbia Academy are still in the softball hunt.
While Wednesday's game is do or die for the baseball squads, the softball teams will get a chance at redemption should they lose.
The reason is that the softball state tournament brings eight teams to Chattanooga, while the baseball tournament just has four teams. Thus a loser goes on the road to sectional action Friday, while the winner is at home.
Here is a look Wednesday's action:
BASEBALL
Columbia Central (21-13)
at Murfreesboro Riverdale (28-13)
The Lions are playing in the Region 4-AAA championship for the third consecutive year dropping both previous contests to Murfreesboro Oakland.
Riverdale will be making its first championship game appearance since 1997.
Columbia Central has won eight of its last nine games, but the Warriors have also been playing well.
Riverdale took care of Coffee County 11-1 Monday behind the strong pitching of sophomore Kyle Smith. Smith struck out six, while allowing just a solo home run in the second inning.
The Warriors helped Smith by scoring six runs in the bottom of the first inning. Robert Kimbrough and Greg Haag supplied offensive sparks with home runs. Freshmen Alex Watson and Clint Alexander also had back-to-back doubles in the first inning.
The Lions will throw senior hurler Cody Goins at the Warriors, who have scored double-figure runs in each of their last three games.
First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.
Mt. Pleasant (25-6) vs. Cascade (19-8)
at Tullahoma's Grider Stadium
The Tigers, who used quality pitching performances from Adam Holt and Brandon Roberts to top Chapel Hill, will need a repeat performance to stop the Champions.
Roberts will start on the mound for Mt. Pleasant. Roberts pitched 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief against the Rockets.
Cascade surprised Summertown in its regional opener with a 5-4 victory.
The Champions got strong offensive games from Brett Young and Eric Hunt.
Mt. Pleasant has blended together five seniors and five freshman with a few sophomores and juniors to put together a solid season.
Seniors are Roberts, Adam Holt, Clay Gilliam, Kevin Wood and Blake Lovett.
These seniors would like to lead the Tigers to a state tournament berth. They were on the 1998 team that placed earned a state tournament runner-up honor.
First pitch is set for 7 p.m.
SOFTBALL
Lincoln Co. (31-16) vs. Columbia Central (20-15)
at Columbia State Community College
When the first pitch is thrown at 7 p.m., Wednesday, it will mark the fifth duel of the season between the two District 8-AAA rivals.
Lincoln County won both of the regular-season meetings. Columbia prevailed in both District 8-AAA tournament meetings in Fayetteville.
The Lady Falcons have the pitching duo of Stephanie Pike and Megan Hollis. Pike (14-8) pitched Monday's 1-0 win at Murfreesboro Oakland. Pike has been tougher on the Lady Lions this season.
Columbia relies on junior Tiffany Childress (16-12) for the bulk of its pitching.
The winner will play at home Friday against the winner of Wednesday's meeting of Chattanooga teams Red Bank and Soddy-Daisy. The loser will travel to Chattanooga.
Central's seniors are catcher Kacy Walker, first baseman Ashley Hodge and outfielders Letavia Goodman and Nikki Candler plus shortstop Jill Grooms, who is sidelined with an injury she suffered in the first meeting with Lincoln County and reinjured in the second.
Chapel Hill (38-7)
at Columbia Academy (20-12)
The two neighboring Class A rivals met only once this season with Columbia Academy prevailing in the Border War Battle at Fayetteville.
Chapel Hill rallied for four runs in the bottom of the seventh to edge Summertown 8-7 while CA halted Cornersville 3-0 in Monday's semifinal play.
CA eliminated Chapel Hill in last year's semifinal game at Chapel Hill.
The Lady Rockets utilize three pitchers, with Ann Marie Odum the lead hurler. Amanda Webb shut the door on Summertown to gain a the pitching win in relief of Odum.
Chapel Hill has a consistent hitting attack with Leigh Beasley, Odum and Kori Knight.
The Lady Bulldogs have a one-two pitching combination of Heidi Buchholz and Elizabeth Barnes.
The offensive attack is led by Candis Littrell, Hollie Sanders and Buchholz.
The first pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Bulldog Booster Park.
