By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support local journalism.
Lady Pioneers beat the Heat
Placeholder Image
Nikki Childers
Updated: Dec 16, 2011, 12:27 AM
Published: Dec 16, 2011, 1:26 AM

Some team may figure out how to stop Lauren Wilkinson and Bree Smith, but it hasn’t happened yet.
Wilkinson and Smith were brilliant once again for the Lady Pioneers as the team moved to 7-1 with a 47-35 win over the Middle Tennessee Heat Tuesday night at Charlie Dalton Gym.
The star seniors have accounted for over half of the Lady Pioneers’ points this season and Tuesday was no different.
Wilkinson scored 20 points, which was her seventh game of 20 or more points this season, while Smith added 14 points, five assists and five steals.
The seniors stole the show early. Smith began the game by hitting fellow senior Taylor Johnson with a bounce pass to get the Lady Pioneers on the board with an easy layup.
Smith found Wilkinson on the next possession for another layup, then Wilkinson drained a wide-open 3-pointer from the right wing to make it 7-3 early.
Smith started looking for her own shot on the next possession when she went baseline and pulled up for a short jumper.
Smith mixed it back up the next time down the court when she drove through the defense then kicked the ball out to Wilkinson for another wide open 3-pointer.
Wilkinson’s second long-range shot jump-started a 13-3 run to end the first quarter. Wilkinson accounted for nine of the points as she hit a jumper, went coast-to-coast for a layup and knocked in two free throws.
Smith and Megan Dishman each added two free throws apiece as Warren County led 22-11 after the first quarter.
The scoring spurt for Warren County carried over into the second quarter. Smith found Rachel Nokes open under the basket off a pick-and-roll for the first points of the period, then Nokes shared the ball with Dishman on a high-low set to get Dishman a three-point play.
After a basket by Middle Tennessee, Smith dropped in an off-balance floater in the lane to push the lead to 16 points and force a time-out by the Heat.
Wilkinson closed out the half with a putback as Warren County went to the locker room leading 31-16.
The Lady Pioneers rolled off a huge run in the third quarter to turn the game into a laugher. After Middle Tennessee opened up the scoring with a free throw, the Lady Pioneers rolled off 11 straight points to take their biggest lead of the season.
Smith started the scoring with a floater, then Johnson sank a free throw following a technical foul on the Heat’s coach. Wilkinson added a steal and score, Dishman followed with a putback and Smith ended the run with two straight layups as Warren County built a 42-19 lead going into the fourth quarter.
Coach Baird went deep into his bench in the fourth quarter as Wilkinson and Smith watched most of the game. The Heat were able to make the final score respectable as the Lady Pioneers scored only five points in the fourth quarter, three on a long bomb by freshman Brittany Myers.
The Heat outscored Warren County 16-5 in the fourth but the Lady Pioneers still hung on for a 12-point victory.
The fourth-quarter play was a little alarming for coach Erick Baird, but the third-year coach sees plenty of positives from his team’s play.
“Megan has stepped up as a third scorer and we’re flowing really good right now,” said Baird. “I’m searching for a bench to help my starters get rest. We have some tough games on the horizon.”
The Lady Pioneers will be looking for a sweep tonight when the team plays host to the Franklin County Lady Rebels. Warren County defeated the Lady Rebels 42-40 on two last-second free throws by Dishman on Nov. 29.
Tonight’s game will tip-off at 6 p.m. at Charlie Dalton Gym.
WCHS baseball, softball compete in weekend tournaments
sports.png
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.