Lady Trojans Kruse-ing into Region 6-A tourney
Former Mocs dot international pro hoops rosters worldwide
Gordon Lee senior centerfielder Gracey Kruse already holds the Lady Trojans’ records for home runs in a season and home runs in a career.
Last Monday night in Dalton, she completed the trifecta.
Kruse launched not one, not two, but a school-record three homers and finished with seven RBIs as the Navy-and-White slugged their way to a 15-2 victory at Christian Heritage in a Region 6-A contest.
Gordon Lee, who moved up to No. 2 in last week’s newest Score Atlanta Class A Public School state poll, opened the scoring with Kruse’s first homer, a two-run shot in the top of the first inning, to stake her team to an
The Chattanooga Mocs men’s basketball program has been on quite a run the past few seasons. That shines brightly under the light of the last two alone.
Forty-eight wins, a Southern Conference Championship and trip to the 2016 NCAA Tournament is impressive. Even more so is seven studentathletes off the last two squads graduated and early lead.
Christian Heritage tied things up with two runs in the bottom of the second, but Gordon Lee was just getting started.
Paxton Grimes blasted a three-run homer of her own as part of a four-run third inning and Kruse hit her second bomb in the fourth – another two-run shot – to make it 8-2.
The Lady Trojans pushed home a solo run in the sixth and poured it on in the seventh as they plated six runs to blow the game wide open.
Gordon Lee finished with 16 hits, including Kruse’s 4-for-4 performance. Grimes, Faith Alexander, Reagan Thompson, Canaan Burnett and Katherine Grace McElhaney each had two hits. Kirbie Bradley and Madison Farrow signing professional contracts.
That’s seven rotational players. Add an eighth who’s played for a national team and it’s pretty impressive.
“It’s impressive at any level,” Coach Lamont Paris shared. “There’s a rich history here, which is one of the things that made this job so attractive to me.
“Student-athletes know they can come here, get a great picked up two RBIs apiece.
Burnett started the game and pitched five innings, striking out five and giving up three hits. Janie Durham allowed just one hit in two innings, picking up one strikeout.
Gordon Lee 7, Darlington 1
A le Lady Trojans scored in every inning but one last Tuesday as they ran their Region 6-A record to 8-0 with a home victory over Darlington.
Burnett threw a seven-inning complete game, allowing seven hits and no earned runs. She didn’t walk a batter and struck out eight.
Alexander was the only Lady Trojan with two hits, while Kruse, Grimes and McElhaney each had a double. education, win and move on to a great career. It speaks for itself.”
Two, Eric Robertson and Dee Oldham, played last year in Great Britain and Australia, respectively. They led both their teams to league titles with Oldham earning MVP honors in the Premier League down under.
Alex Bran also completed eligibility in 2016. He’s suited up with the Guatemalan National Team in international play.
That brings us to the 2016-17 edition. All five starters from a year ago signed overseas. The list: Johnathan Burroughs-Cook (China), Casey Jones (Argentina), Tre’ McLean (Russia), Greg Pryor (France) and Justin Tuoyo (Hungary).
That doesn’t include the long line of Mocs over the last 10 years still playing all over the world. Names like Nicchaeus Doaks (Japan), Kevin Bridgewaters (Tunisia), Keyron Sheard (Venezuela) and Keddric Mays (Italy).
The Mocs are currently working toward the start of the 2017-18 campaign. Practice begins on Monday of this week with the first look at the new edition coming on Saturday, November 4, in an exhibition game against Francis Marion.
Season tickets are on sale via GoMocs.com or by calling the McKenzie Arena ticket office at 266-MOCS (6627) during normal business hours.
The Mocs have won 11 regular season and 11 tournament titles since joining the Souther Conference in the 19771978 season.
They made the NCAA Sweet 16 in 1997 and have had nine NBA draft picks.
Alexander, Kruse, Grimes, Emma Minghini and Maddie Clark all had one RBI apiece.
Sydney Seymour had two hits for Darlington, who broke up the shutout bid with a run in the top of the seventh.
Gordon Lee 17, King’s Ridge 0
The Lady Trojans traveled more than two hours to Alpharetta on Friday afternoon, but the game took just about half that much time.
Gordon Lee (20-3 overall) needed just three innings to blow out the Lady Tigers, 17-0, improving to 20-3 overall on the season.
Burnett, Thompson and Bradley all had two hits on the afternoon. Bradley had a teamhigh and career-best five RBIs, while Macie Pearson doubled and drove in two. Grimes added a homer and two RBIs, while Kruse had a triple and plated a pair of runs.
Thompson, McElhaney, Farrow, Durham and Cameron Davis had one RBI each.
The game did not count in the subregion standings.
Results of Monday’s Senior Night game against North Cobb Christian School were not available as of press time.
Trion will host the Region 6-A tournament, starting on Wednesday, Oct. 4.
Gordon Lee’s opening round opponent was unknown as of press time.
The Lady Trojans are on a streak of 14 consecutive region titles.