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Southern Standard defense has Fully Loaded shooting blanks
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Levi Jones helped hit and pitch Southern Standard to a first-place finish in the junior league after a win Friday night versus Fully Loaded.

Friday night lights is often a term used in football but during this time of the year Friday night lights mean something else. It means baseball on Sam Martin Field.
Southern Standard used a big first inning at the plate and solid defense throughout the game to silence Fully Loaded, 8-2. Standard pitchers Levi Jones and Matthew Colangione threw strikes and got plays from their defense all over the field.
Southern Standard clinched the No. 1 seed in the tournament with a record of 6-1-1, with the tie game believed to be the only tie in Civic Center baseball memory.
The Southern Standard team was prepared to play and jumped out early in the top of the first inning. Alex Castaneda singled to lead off the game with a base hit. Matthew Colangione followed with his own single. Each runner advanced on a passed ball. After a strikeout for the first out of the game, Chase Newby drew a walk and Owen Clark was hit by a pitch and the first run crossed the plate for a 1-0 lead. Levi Jones crushed a pitch deep to the outfield for a double and cleared the bases and the score jumped to 4-0. Out two came and was followed by a huge double by Leo Castaneda and Jones scored to make it 5-0 before the final out.
In the bottom of the first, Fully Loaded picked up a quick pair of outs and when Kyler Robinson reached base he was left stranded.
The top of the second Blaine Gilley started the inning with a walk. After the first out Colangione singled for a base hit through the middle. Peyton Adams followed with a single and Gilley and Colangione crossed the plate and Southern Standard led 7-0.
In the bottom of the second, Fully Loaded showed signs of life. Jake Rains reached first base on an infield single. Jaxysn Patterson reached on a walk and each of the runners stole their way around to second and third base. Fully Loaded had two outs with two on base when Korey Smith jumped on a pitch and crushed a double through the defense and cleared the bases. Fully Loaded was on the scoreboard, 7-2.
William Gillespie reached base on balls after the first out was made. He got the green light and stole second and third base. A second out was made on a strikeout, but Dylan Stepp followed with a single and scored Gillespie for an 8-2 lead. Out three put Southern Standard back out in the field on defense.
Fully Loaded shot blanks for the remaining two innings and never really recovered from the first-inning assault by Southern Standard.
It was all Southern Standard in its final regular season game and they defeated Fully Loaded by a final score of 8-2.
Tournament action begins Tuesday night.

WCHS baseball, softball compete in weekend tournaments
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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.