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Boys tennis unbeaten
Shunsuke-Nakashimaweb
Shunsuke Nakashima
Nikki Childers
Updated: Apr 8, 2011, 2:47 AM
Published: Apr 8, 2011, 3:44 AM

The Warren County High School boys tennis team hasn’t just cruised through the first of the season without a loss, it’s barely been tested on its way to a 6-0 record.
The Pioneers didn’t have the luxury of going through the motions on Tuesday when St. Andrew’s Sewanee paid a visit to Warren County. The Pioneers got some inspired play from deep in their lineup to come up with a 5-4 win and run their unbeaten streak to seven games.
Coach David Dunlap faced a lineup shift before action even began at McMinnville Civic Center, as coach Dunlap’s star junior Thomas Locke was absent for the match. Locke is the team’s No. 3 singles player and is part of one of the state’s best doubles pair, so his absence meant other players would need to step up.
Coach Dunlap has spoken all season about the impressive depth of his team, but it wasn’t until Tuesday until the back end of the lineup had to come up with big wins. The Pioneers got a match-clinching singles win from junior Austin Sauer, while Mitchell Fuqua and Nat Treratanaphan paired for a doubles win. Coach Dunlap was thrilled with his team’s win.
“We’re a deep team and Tuesday proved it,” said Dunlap. “Austin came through to help us win today.”
Sauer, playing in just his second varsity singles match this season, defeated Joel Lee 8-1 in the final singles match to give the Pioneers the victory.
Sauer’s big victory came shortly after Treratanaphan and Fuqua paired to defeat Lee and Slater Goodson in a doubles match. The doubles set went to tiebreakers, with the Pioneers winning 9-8 on the second tiebreaker.
While the bottom of the lineup gave Warren County a big jolt, it was the familiar faces at the top of coach Dunlap’s lineup who kept the Pioneers steady at the beginning of Tuesday’s action.
Sophomore Shunsuke Nakashima and junior Seth Grissom had big singles wins, then paired to win a doubles match to give Warren County three of its five wins.
Nakashima, the Pioneers top singles player, ran his record to 6-0 by defeating Justin Stubblefield 8-6. Nakashima struggled with Stubblefield, including having his serve broken to tie the match at five. It would be just the motivation Nakashima needed, as he rallied to win three of the next four games.
Grissom also had his hands full in the No. 2 singles match, playing Sewanee’s Harry Zhu. Grissom prevailed 8-5, which also gave him an undefeated singles record of 6-0.
Though Nakashima and Grissom played close singles matches against Stubblefield and Zhu, it didn’t translate when the duos stepped on the court for doubles. Nakashima and Grissom dispatched Stubblefield and Zhu 8-1.
Fuqua and Bryce Caten barely missed giving the Pioneers their elusive fifth win, which would have clinched a victory in the best-of-nine match. Fuqua was defeated by Pledger Schaefer 9-7 in a set which required an extra game to decide a winner, while Caten fell 8-6 to Martin Brownridge.
Warren County returned to the court yesterday to take on its District 6-AAA rival Coffee County. Scores from yesterday’s matches were unavailable at press time.
The Pioneers will have a week off before taking on Cumberland County next Thursday. The match on April 14 will be at McMinnville Civic Center and begins at 3:30 p.m.
WCHS baseball, softball compete in weekend tournaments
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Matt Tyson
Published: Apr 2, 2025, 10:16 PM

One day after a close home win over Cumberland County Thursday night, the Warren County baseball team was back on the road for a weekend tournament slate. Taking part in the Viking Classic, the Pioneers went 2-2 across Friday and Saturday’s contests.

Kicking things off against Huntland at Tullahoma High School Friday evening, Warren County notched its third straight victory with a 4-3 decision over the Hornets.

Sam Robinson had three of the team’s eight hits. Ryder Gilispie followed with two. Tyler Adams, Jerren Harris and Keaton Rowe each added one hit.

Gilispie and Harris were both credited with one RBI each.

Adams, Robinson, Gilispie and Adrian Harris each scored one run.

On the mound, Miguel Garcia pitched four innings, finishing with four strikeouts, two hits, three runs and four walks. Keagan Thompson followed for two innings, striking out two.

In the nightcap, the Pioneers were held scoreless in an 8-0 shutout against the host Wildcats. Robinson had Warren County’s lone hit of the game.

Hayven Jones pitched 1.1 innings, recording one strikeout, four hits, seven runs and two walks. Jerren Harris came on for 2.2 innings, finishing with two hits, one run and four walks.

Back in action for day two of the tournament at Cascade High School, the Pioneers bounced back with a 9-8 win over the host Champions Saturday morning.

The team finished with nine hits, led by Adams and Robinson with two each. Gilispie, Jerren Harris, Adrian Harris, Woogs Bryan and Corban Felton all added one.

Bryan led the team in RBI with four of its eight. Gilispie, Felton, Jerren Harris and Brady Norris each brought in one.

Jaytton Baker went 3.1 innings on the bump, striking out five and coming off with eight hits and five runs. Lealon Arnold followed for 1.2 innings, striking out one and adding two hits and three runs. Gilispie pitched for one inning and recorded two strikeouts and one hit.

Closing out the weekend against Alabama’s Heritage Christian, Warren County came out on the losing end of a 14-6 contest. At the plate, Jerren Harris led the way with two of the team’s eight hits. Adams, Gilispie, Bryan, Felton, Adrian Harris and Evan Snapp all followed with one each.

The Pioneers posted four RBI, with two each for Adams and Snapp.

Snapp had two of the team’s six runs, with one each for Adams, Gilispie, Felton and Jones.

Braden Whinnery pitched 2.2 innings, striking out four and surrendering seven hits, five runs and one walk. Rowe followed for 0.2 innings, adding four hits and five runs. Up next was Keagan Thompson, who went one inning and came off with five hits and four runs. Daylen Holguin wrapped up the day, striking out one and allowing one hit over 0.2 innings.

WCHS softball goes 1-3 through weekend

The Lady Pioneers got their Southern Warrior Classic schedule started with a game against Summertown Friday evening, a matchup in which they fell 10-1.

Warren County finished with six hits, with two each for Ky Damon, Lola Wells and Kaydence Wiser.

Wiser had a home run in the top of the fourth inning for the team’s lone run.

In the circle, Ceilee Gudat pitched 3.1 innings and finished with one strikeout, nine hits, 10 runs and two walks. Kyaira Sharpe followed for the game’s remainder, closing out the last 0.2 innings.

The Lady Pioneers were again bested in their second Friday night game, falling 10-2 to Moline (Ill.).

Wells led the Warren County hitting effort with two of the team’s six. Damon, Callie Roberts, Cortlyn Porter and Ali Young each added one.

Wells and Lily Rains had one run each.

Ruby Denning had one strikeout and gave up eight hits, 10 runs and three walks across all four innings.

The Lady Pioneers had better luck in their Saturday morning opener, flying ahead with an 11-run fifth inning to take down Illinois’s Oswego East 15-9.

Warren County racked up 12 hits over the course of the game, with two each for Rains, Wells, Sharpe, Porter and Addison Smith. This included home runs for both Wells and Smith. Damon and Young both added one hit each.

Smith led the Lady Pioneers in RBI with four of their 15, followed by Sharpe with three. Rains and Wells both had two RBI. Damon, Wiser, Porter and Young all tacked on one.

Sharpe pitched the first four innings and came out with 13 hits, nine runs and two walks. Denning added one hit across one inning.

Warren County was unable to duplicate this in their final game of the weekend later that afternoon, falling 3-2 to Stewarts Creek.

The team notched six hits, with two each for Rains and Porter. Damon and Wiser both added one hit.

Rains had the Lady Pioneers’ lone RBI.

On the rubber, Gudat pitched all five innings, striking out three and finishing the day with five hits, three runs and one walk.