Sports and Outdoors

After a 5-1 win over Eagleville at home on Monday, the Cornersville Bulldogs took to the road on Tuesday with the opportunity to do something they have never done before if they beat the Eagles on their home turf on Tuesday. Raymond Cooksey took the ball for the Bulldogs for the big game and the senior came up with a career outing on the hill, going the distance in a 5-4 win that gave Cornersville its first-ever regular season District 8-A title.

Forrest’s three seniors stole the show on their special night at the Field of Dreams in Chapel Hill as the Gillespie twins (Kennedy and Kayla) along with Lauren Gillespie were key cogs in the Lady Rockets’ 14-3 five-inning, run-rule win over Giles County that clinched the District 12-AA regular season title. “It feels great, but we can’t do it without the girls, they put in all the time and they really buy in to the program,” Forrest coach Shelby Stinnett said. “And the coaching staff, we are here year round whether it is lifting or off-season and putting in the work, so I have to thank my coaching staff as well.” Lauren Gillespie went the distance to pick up the win in the circle while Kayla Gillespie bashed a can opener grand slam home run and Kennedy Gillespie went a perfect 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles and two RBIs.

The Forrest Lady Rockets turned in an overwhelming performance Monday night at the Field of Dreams in Chapel Hill as they blasted Murfreesboro Central Magnet School (MCM) 21-3 in a four-inning, run-rule win. “I think a big thing is, we are trying to give them a few days off here and there, just to keep them fresh and not wear them out and once we get here we have to go to work,” Forrest coach Shelby Stinnett said. “They are doing a really good job doing that, getting fresh, getting energized and really being ready to go.”

A beautiful spring evening, perfect for baseball was the setting for a chance to grab first place away from the Eagleville Eagles (17-7-1, 8-0). That was the challenge for the host Cornersville Bulldogs (17-3, 7-1) as they took the field to play the first game of a home and away series. The Bulldogs, behind the pitching and hitting of Graham Duke and timely hitting in the bottom of the sixth won the game and with the win a share of first place in District 8-A by a score of 5-1. Duke pitched a superb game as he struck out 11 Eagles, walked five, and gave up only four hits.

The Forrest Rockets used the perfect combination of solid pitching, flawless defense, and some clutch hitting to take down Giles County 9-1 in a District 12-AA battle at Chapel Hill Monday night. Columbia State Community College signee Ethan Mealer was strong on the mound for the Rockets, tossing a six inning, three-hitter while striking out 11 and issuing three bases on balls.

The Cornersville Bulldogs lost their first District 8-A game of the season Tuesday night and it took a monumental effort by Fayetteville to come away with a 6-3 win in 10 innings at Cornersville. Fayetteville hurler Jeffrie Pettie turned in a phenomenal performance on the mound for the Tigers as he tossed 112 pitches over nine innings to pick up the win and halt the Cornersville winning streak at 10 games. Pettie only gave up four hits while striking out four and walking three Bulldogs’ batters in the contest.

Tuesday, April 16 At Forrest Community 000 00X X-0 2 0 Forrest 263 1XX X-12 13 1

2019 Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association Hall of Fame inductee Joe George won 803 baseball games during his 37 years as head coach at Marshall County High School, guiding the Tigers to three Class AA state championships (1983, 1993, 1994) and four runner-up finishes in 12 trips to the state tournament. “It feels great,” George said. “I never really expected to be here and to be in such great company is really an honor and I’m tickled to death.”

It only takes a few plays on the positive or negative side to change a baseball game and that’s what happened Monday night at Joe George Field in Lewisburg as the Marshall County Tigers were on the minus side of the ledger in a tough 8-7 District 12-AA loss to Murfreesboro Central Magnet School in the first leg of the home and away league series. “We spotted them too many runs right there, we had the lead in the third inning and then we had a bad inning,” MCHS coach Mike “Monk” Reese said. “They made some plays and hit the ball, but our guys never quit, we battled and had the opportunity a couple of more times to take the lead and we just didn’t.”

Tuesday, April 15 At Fayetteville Cornersville 003 000 2-5 9 0 Fayetteville 100 000 0-1 5 1

The Marshall County Tigers were hoping to bounce back from three straight District 12-AA losses when the hosted Giles County Tuesday night at Joe George Field in Lewisburg, but the Bobcats had other ideas as they run-ruled the Tigers 11-1 in six innings. “We gave up some runs early and you can’t give up some good runs against a good pitcher,” MCHS coach Mike “Monk” Reese said. “Plus we left the bases loaded three times with our three, four, and five guys up there, you can change the game there, you gotta hit there and we didn’t.”

After a big 8-3 win by Forrest at Murfreesboro Central Magnet on Tuesday, the two ball clubs met back up at Chapel Hill on Wednesday and the contest was much closer with the Rockets coming away with a tight 2-1 win in eight innings. Senior Brett Burnham came through in the clutch for the Rockets, banging a bases loaded single with no outs in the bottom of the eighth inning to secure the win and the sweep over the Tigers. Forrest had just three hits in the game with Burnham, Max Kirby, and Grayson Whaley all picking up one base knock apiece.

Forrest’s Ashely Milligan got her first start in the circle at the Field of Dreams in Chapel Hill Wednesday night and ‘Big Red’ made the most of it, tossing a five-inning no-hitter as the Lady Rockets run-ruled Cornersville 12-0. “She has been throwing well all year and probably hadn’t got the opportunities she’s worked hard enough to get,” Forrest coach Shelby Stinnett said. “We are still trying to give her some shots and when she comes out and throws like that, she’ll get more.”

The Huntland Hornets came to play the second game of a home and away District 8-A series with the host Cornersville Bulldogs on a beautiful spring afternoon that was perfect for baseball. The Bulldogs, behind the pitching of Carson Stacy and the hitting of Raymond Cooksey easily topped the Hornets by a score of 9-3.

The Lewisburg Middle School Tigers travelled to Chapel Hill Friday for an intra-county rivalry bout with the Forrest Middle Rockets and Lewisburg came away with a hard fought 6-1 win to complete the sweep of the season series. The Rockets were held to just three hits in the game as Trey Warner picked up the win on the mound for the Tigers, tossing three innings of one-hit baseball. Warner struck out four and walked two Forrest batters before Bailin Luttrell came to the hill in relief in the fourth inning and turned in a stellar shutdown performance.

Duck River Raceway Park feature results Saturday, April 6 Top 10

After suffering their first loss of the season via a 1-0 setback at Cascade on Monday, the Forrest Lady Rockets beat Marshall County 11-0 on Tuesday and followed that win up with another District 12-AA triumph on Wednesday at the Field of Dreams in Chapel Hill as they beat Nolensville 8-1. “Coming in we are just treating every game as an opportunity to get better,” Forrest coach Shelby Stinnett said. “I tell them the end is what matters and what counts, so we are really treating these games as seeing what we need to fix, seeing what we need to fine tune and hopefully later in the season that will pay off.”

After losing at Nolensville Monday night, the Marshall County Tigers regrouped and readied themselves for the second leg of the District 12-AA home and away clash with the Knights at Joe George Field in Lewisburg Tuesday night. The Tigers sent Hunter Huarez to the hill in hopes of gaining the split with the Knights and the ace righty turned in a stellar performance, scattering four hits and two earned runs in 5.1 innings while striking out 13 Nolensville batters, but it wasn’t enough in a tough 4-2 loss.

The Cascade Champions (3-6, 2-1) came calling on a sunny Tuesday afternoon to play the second game of a two-game, District 8-A series with the host Cornersville Bulldogs (10-2, 3-0). The Bulldogs spotted the Champions a three-run lead, but behind two home run blasts by Caleb Crowell and a bases clearing double by Cameron Whitaker, Cornersville swept the series and the game by a score of 8-4.

Forrest ace Ethan Mealer was on his game Monday night at Chapel Hill as the big righty turned in a dominating performance, tossing a complete game one-hitter and striking out a career high 14 to claim a 9-0 District 12-AA win over Community. “They played Central Magnet in a close game, so I knew I had to keep the ball over the plate, keep it low, and it just happened to fall right for me tonight,” Mealer said. “We have come a long way since we started, so we have to play as a team if we want to do anything.”

Thursday, March 28 Smoky Mountain Invitational at Seymour, TN Clarksville NE 010 312 1-8 9 0 Marshall County 560 000 X-11 17 4

Thursday, March 28 Viking Class at Unionville Cornersville 201 200 X-5 9 4 Wapahani, IN 100 403 X-8 5 1

The Forrest Rockets came away with a three-game sweep in the annual Single A Classic at Chapel Hill last weekend, beginning with a big 11-1 six-inning, run-rule win over Jackson Christian School. The Rockets banged out 12 hits in the contest and gave winning pitcher Cody Sisk all the runs he needed thanks to a five-run first inning.

The Marshall County Tigers and Forrest Rockets hooked up in a home and away District 12-AA series on Monday and Tuesday with Lewisburg winning 9-0 at Joe George Field and Chapel Hill taking a 2-1 win to garner the split. “I’m proud of the way we bounced back, we just didn’t have our night last night,” Forrest coach Bart Joyce said. “Marshall County played an excellent game, they are a great ballclub over there.” Hunter Huarez tossed a complete game shutout on Monday, scattering four hits while striking out eight and walking three Forrest batters.

Monday, March 25 At Richland Cornersville 301 101 0-6 11 1 Richland 002 010 0-3 5 2

Marshall County senior point guard Demariae Ingram has seen the depths and survived to lead the Tigerettes back to glory this season, etching her mark on the storied program in Lewisburg. “Being a Tigerette is a great experience,” Ingram said. “The team is together day in and day out and we have created friendships that will last a lifetime.” “Being a part of the Tigerette tradition will always be a highlight in my life because of all the love and support showed by the community.”

Shelby Stinnett won a ton of games and set many school records in the circle as a player on the Field of Dreams at Chapel Hill and on Monday, Stinnett earned her first home win as a coach via a 9-1 win over the Brentwood Lady Bruins. “I never even thought about it that way,” Stinnett said. “All the shout-out goes to the girls, without the girls that have bought in and a great coaching staff, none of this is possible.”

Forrest’s Lauren Gillespie set the tone from the start of the Southern Warrior Classic as the senior ace lefty tossed a no-hitter over Wilson High School from Alabama in Friday afternoon’s opener at Barfield Park in Murfreesboro. The Lady Rockets won 5-0 for the first of three straight wins over Alabama schools and they finished up the tournament with a triumph over Bloomington Central Catholic from Illinois.

Duck River Raceway Park Top 10 World of Outlaws Friday, March 22 604 Crate Late Model 1. Chase Walls 2. David Brannon 3. Jimmy Halford 4. Shannon Davis 5. Jadon Frame 6. Cameron Weaver 7. Steven Holcomb 8. Marcus Minga 9. Peyton Walker 10. Ronnie Cooper

Whaley tosses perfect game, Sweeney gets a slam for Rockets! Wednesday, March 20 At Forrest Fairview 000 000 X-0 0 3 Forrest 102 016 X-10 5 3

After a big come from behind road win at Community to start the season, the Forrest Rockets opened up on their home pitch Tuesday versus another District 6-A opponent in Cascade. The Champions dominated the Rockets on both ends of the field, blanking Forrest 4-nil on the Lions Club Memorial Field in Chapel Hill. “If I had to sum this game up, I would say we got beat by a better team today,” Forrest coach Roger Carrier said. “It’s as simple as that.”

It was cold, it was long, but it was a district win. The Cornersville Bulldogs moved to 4-0 on the season and 1-0 in District 8-A play with a 17-7 six inning, run-rule win over Moore County Monday night at Frog Bottom. “I told the guys it wasn’t the prettiest win, but we got the job done and we are 1-0 and all of our goals are in front of us,” Cornersville coach Ben Putnam said. “We pitched good enough, we fielded good enough, but the one thing I thought we did the whole game was we swung the bat pretty good and coming in to the season, that was my biggest concern.”

Former Forrest great Shelby Stinnett opened up her head coaching career with the Lady Rockets in style as the two-time state champions posted a perfect 4-0 record Friday and Saturday at the Firehouse Subs Tournament at Bobby Brewer Park in Lawrenceburg. “It feels pretty good, I thought the girls came out here with good energy and we told pitching that if we can hold teams down to two runs or less, we will give you five runs a game,” Stinnett said. “I like having a tournament like this to open the season because you get to play different teams and you get to see what you got. You also get to see different pitching styles and it’s not people you see every day, so you just get to come out and play ball.”

Pure Stock 1. Dylan McCrary 2. Clint Carter 3. Dillion Daniels 4. Zach Taylor 5. Chris Ruth 6. Dewayne Hicks 7. Travis Newberry 8. Ryan Moran 9. Jamie Ballard 10. Josh Bondurant (DNS)

After four years at the helm of the Rockets basketball team, head coach Randy Toombs turned in his resignation last week and Forrest hit the reset button with the hiring of 2011 alum Corey Bishop. “I just remember whenever I played all the way from my freshman to my senior year it was a mindset when we came in to the gym that the other team thought I don’t want to play against those guys because of their toughness, their resiliency, their effort, and determination on the defensive end and the rebounding scale,” Bishop said. “If we can established those things, we think we can get Forrest basketball back to being that team that is feared in this district.”

Tigers shut down Hume-Fogg in season opener Monday, March 11 Marshall County 541 20X X-12 13 0 Hume-Fogg 000 00X X-0 1 5 Marshall County: Austin Grubbs 3-for-3, Blake Moreland 2-for-3, Carson Cheek 2-for-2, Logan McKnight 2-for-2, Breen Peete 1-for-2, Bryson Whaley 1-for-2, Caleb Grooms 1-for-2, Cova Rowland 1-for-2...

The Forrest Rockets hosted Middle Tennessee Christian School (MTCS) in their season opener Tuesday night and only managed one hit off two Cougar hurlers in a 3-0 loss. Blaize Sweeney had a lone single in the bottom of the third inning off JD McCracken, who picked up the win for MTCS. McCracken tossed three innings and struck out eight and walked one Forrest batter.

The Marshall County Tigerettes could not sustain their postseason magic in Friday’s TSSAA Class 2A BlueCross Basketball Championship semifinal, suffering a tough, season-ending 46-37 loss to Westview at the Charles M. Murphy Athletic Center on the campus of MTSU in Murfreesboro. “They are one of the elite programs in Tennessee and I think we are getting to that point,” MCHS coach David Steely said. “We were ahead at the half, we were right in the game in the state semifinals, so I’m proud of the girls.”

After winning just two games last year, the Forrest Rockets started off the 2018-2019 soccer campaign with a bang as they came away with a 3-2 come from behind win at Community Monday night in the season opener for both squads. “It feels great, the guys really stuck together today,” said first-year coach Roger Carrier. “We were up and then we were down and we came back at the end, so I’m proud of how they played.” Dalton Colvin’s right foot was the difference in the contest as the junior lifted the Rockets to victory with a pair goals off of free kicks in the last three and half minutes of the game.

Most of the current Tigerettes’ team was not even in kindergarten the last time Marshall County won a state tournament game, but they made a big leap towards a hardcourt higher education on Wednesday as took down DeKalb County 34-31 in the first round of the Class 2A BlueCross Basketball Championships at the Charles M. Murphy Athletic Center on the campus of MTSU in Murfreesboro.

KJ Johnson, Marshall County High School’s all-time scoring leader, culminated his stellar career Tuesday night at the Murphy Center on the campus of MTSU as he captured his second consecutive Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association’s Class 2A Mr. Miss Basketball Award. “It is definitely a blessing, I never thought I would win it two years in a row,” Johnson said. “I give all the glory to God and thank him for everything.” Johnson finished his career with 2,720 points and averaged a state-high 34.8 points per game with 5.4 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.2 steals per game this season.

LYNCHBURG, TN–The Motlow Lady Bucks will face their toughest test of the young 2019 softball season this weekend when they welcome defending TCCAA champion Chattanooga State to the Moore County campus. The Lady Tigers are ranked No. 16 in the preseason NJCAA poll. ...

The Marshall County Tigerettes are making the trip back to the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association’s BlueCross Basketball Championships after an 11-year absence and it was easier than expected as they routed East Nashville 49-35 in a Class 2A sectional game Saturday night at the Dottie Kelso Memorial Gymnasium in Lewisburg. “It’s unbelievable, I dreamed of it since the day I said I would do it again and we are going to make the walk up the ramp I told you about the other day,” MCHS coach David Steely said. “I’m just glad for these girls, these seniors have gone from a one-win season to the state tournament in their career.”

The Marshall County Tigerettes turned back time Thursday night at East Hickman High School as they pulled out a gutty 44-38 comeback win over Creek Wood in the Region 6-AA Tournament title game. “I’m just so proud of these girls, we finished runner-up last year and won the region this year,” MCHS coach David Steely said. “This wasn’t our prettiest effort, it was ugly, we made a ton of mistakes, but when it came to the fourth quarter again, we had a 15-3 quarter, held them to three points and found a way to win.”

The KJ Johnson era on the hardcourt at Marshall County High School came to a close Wednesday night as the Tigers suffered a 66-48 season ending loss to Murfreesboro Central Magnet School (MCM) in the Region 6-AA Tournament semifinals at East Hickman High School. “The second half we struggled getting some points on the board and that was huge,” MCHS coach Lavon King said. “We just couldn’t find the hole.” “For the younger guys we kinda live and learn and for the older guys, I told them as far as putting a stamp on this program, we didn’t finish where we wanted to, but this will always be their family.”

The Marshall County Tigerettes punched a ticket to the Region 6-AA Tournament title game Thursday night as they built a huge lead then held on for a 47-38 semifinal win over Stewart County Tuesday night at East Hickman High School. “We got through it,” MCHS coach David Steely said. “This time of year there is not but 32 teams left going in to tonight and most teams will make a run on you.” The Tigerettes had nice balance on offense as Kelsey Keiler led the way with 13 points and a perfect 7-for-7 performance from the free throw line.