TWU is awaiting Point-Bryan victor
Nationally ranked Tennessee Wesleyan and Bryan College may play each other today for the Appalachian Athletic Conference baseball tournament championship in Kingsport, Tenn., after sharing the regular-season title, but No. 9 Bryan must beat Point University to set up that showdown. Friday, No. 19 TWU edged Reinhardt 6-5 but Point (32-23) avenged Thursday’s 3-1 loss to Bryan with a 5-1 victory behind pitcher Harrison Osborn. Tyler Halas was 2-for-3 with an RBI single and a two-run home run for TWU (3718), while Chris Baetzel was 3-for-4, Grant Lang was 2-for-3 and Dakota Phillips doubled in the deciding run. Chris Painter got the pitching win with 3 1/3 innings of two-hit, scoreless relief. In defeat for Bryan (40-14), Jacob Justice was 3-for-4, David Scoggins was 2-for-4 and Lake Burris had the RBI.
SOFTBALL
› UTC’s 2 p.m. softball home doubleheader Sunday against 15th-ranked Auburn is officially a sellout with nearly 2,000 spectators expected, and UTC outfielder Aly Walker was chosen the Southern Conference player of the month for April. She batted .512 (21-for-41) as the Mocs went 9-4 in April, with three homers, a triple, four doubles, nine RBIs and 10 runs scored.
› Lee University plays again today in the Gulf South Conference softball tournament at Florence, Ala., after beating Montevallo (32-16) 5-3 in an elimination game Friday.
Erika Greek was the winning pitcher with a save from Leigh Beatenbough. Lee (2828) got three runs in the second inning when
Kayla Gooch hit a two-run double off the third baseman’s glove — the second runner called safe on obstruction — and scored on a throwing error on the play. Claudia Jones homered, Abby McKinney added an RBI single and Taylor Moran was 2-for-4.
BOWLING
› Hixson High School senior Karmin Nevels, the scratch girls’ champion in the 2018 Chattanooga Area Bowling Association’s youth bowler of the year tournament, is one of three area recruits confirmed recently by Tennessee Wesleyan bowling coach John Ferguson. Nevels, a two-year team captain who plays No. 1 tennis also for Hixson, joined Rhea County’s Millie Shadden and Bradley Central’s Leah White. White is a “great all-around bowler and has a great coach in her dad Aaron, who will be an assistant coach for me next year,” Ferguson said in an email. “She has been a big recruiter for me in helping me bring in Karmin and Millie.” He called Shadden “a powerful bowler who has a lot of speed on her throws.” Of Nevels he wrote, “I love how competitive she is. … She is a two-handed bowler, which is a little different for girls bowling, but she is really impressive with it.” Hixson coach Travis Clem said Nevels averaged 180 pins per game for the 2017-18 season and has rolled as high as a 275. “Karmin is an outstanding athlete and individual,” Clem said. “She’s a very well-rounded student. She sings in the school choir, often getting solo opportunities. She is one of the emcees of our pep rallies. Academically she’s no slouch, either.” Her choice of TWU was enhanced by an academic scholarship, in fact, with Oklahoma Christian, Kentucky Wesleyan and Waldorf among her options.
FISHING
› Wesley Strader of Spring City was tied for 16th at 19 pounds, 6 ounces after the opening round Friday of the Bassmaster Elite tournament on Kentucky Lake, and Harrison’s Jacob Wheeler and Spring City’s John Murray were 20th and 26th at 18-13 and 18-6. Chris Zaldain of Nevada led at 24-3.
GOLF
› Gordon Lee High School’s Tucker Windham and Macall Miller have been picked by the Georgia High School Golf Coaches Association to participate in the 11th annual North vs. South Senior-Junior All-Star tournaments June 5-7 at Sunset Country Club in Moultrie. The boys’ North roster also includes Lee University recruit Dustin Demersseman of Oconee County.