Sports and Outdoors

In the next to the last game of the 16-18 year-old Babe Ruth season Friday night at the Jonathon D. Hollingsworth Memorial Babe Ruth Field in Lewisburg, the Gamecocks jumped out to a big lead over the Beavers before surviving a serious comeback bid to hold on for a 10-8 win. Carson Cheek had another huge night for the Gamecocks, smashing the league’s first home run of the season and picking up the win on the mound. JW Beasley and Logan Courtemanche both went 2-for-3 at the plate for the Gamecocks with Beasley driving in two and scoring two runs while Courtemanche drove in two, scored a run, stole two bases, and tossed one scoreless inning on the hill to earn a hold.

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Like all other prep baseball teams in Tennessee, the 2020 Forrest graduating class’ senior season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the Rockets got to play one last game on Senior Night at Chapel Hill as the participated in an intra-squad contest in front of a packed house on Friday. The Blue Team consisted of all the Forrest underclassmen who squared off versus the White Team, made up of all four 2020 seniors and some past greats from the school.

It was high school senior night on Tuesday at the Jonathan D. Hollingsworth Memorial Babe Ruth Field in Lewisburg as the Beavers took on the Gamecocks in a 16-18 year-old division doubleheader. Carson Cheek stole the show in game one, tossing a no-hitter in a close 3-0 win for the Gamecocks.

In the early spring of 2008, the Marshall County Tigerettes won their fourth state title to cap off an exciting winter sports season in Marshall County and it was quickly out to the diamonds and the courts to cover baseball, softball, tennis, and soccer.

The Marshall County Babe Ruth League’s 16-18 year old division hosted Spring Hill based Hustle Factory for a Friday night doubleheader at the Jonathan D. Hollingsworth Memorial Field in Lewisburg and came away with a sweep over the 16U travel team. The Beavers, looking for their first win of the season, took the field in game one with Caleb McElhaney on the mound and he struck out the first two Hustle Factory batters.

The second game of Tuesday night’s Marshall County Babe League doubleheader didn’t last long as the Maury County Red Birds demolished Marshall Medical Center (MMC) 18-0 in a two-inning run-rule win.

The Marshall County Babe Ruth League opened up its season Friday night a little behind the predetermined time after the fully committed Maury County team decided not to play at the last minute. Undeterred, Beavers’ lefty Hayden Duke fired the first pitch of the season to Gamecocks’ leadoff batter Peyton Graves at 7 p.m. to kick off a doubleheader between the two remaining 16-18 year-old squads at the Jonathon D. Hollingsworth Memorial Babe Ruth League Field in Lewisburg.

This past week I had the pleasure of interviewing KJ Johnson, a 2019 MCHS graduate and basketball standout, who will start his sophomore year at Lipscomb University this fall. Johnson recently completed his freshman year online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Monday night’s 13-15 year-old season opener at the Jonathan D. Hollingsworth Memorial Babe Ruth Park in Lewisburg, the longtime league participants Nichirin took on the newly formed Red Birds, one of the two Columbia squads in the division this season. Nichirin came away with a close 4-2 win, scoring three first inning runs that held up for winning pitcher Trey Warner, who tossed the first three innings before Colton Fink came on for the save.

Monday night’s second game of the Babe Ruth League twin bill featured Marshall Medical Center (MMC) and Game Time, the second Maury County squad in the league this season. Game Time starting pitcher Cole Taylor struck out the side in order in the top of the first inning and MMC starter Ashton Grubbs did not allow any runs in the bottom of the frame.

It was a classic matchup at the Jonathan D. Hollingsworth Memorial Babe Ruth Field in the first game of Tuesday night’s twin bill at Lewisburg with the Elks taking on A-Plus Collision Center. The Elks had just one hit in the contest, coming from their last batter in the game as Jacob Mayberry lashed a run-scoring single.

It’s been 11 weeks since the last live sporting event in Marshall County, but that is going to change Friday night when the Marshall County Babe Ruth League opens play at the Jonathan D. Hollingsworth Memorial Field in Lewisburg. “I’m wound up, I’ve been on the phone everyday talking to people and making sure everything is alright,” former Marshall County League Babe Ruth president and current league executive Ken Demastus said. “And David Crane (current Babe Ruth League president) has really done a great job.”

Even though Marshall County High School’s Walker Whaley was denied his senior season on the diamond at Joe George Field in Lewisburg because of the COVID-19 pandemic, his proven skills were enough for the coaches at Martin Methodist College, who offered Whaley a baseball scholarship on the RedHawks. “It feels great that I’m getting to go to the next level to play ball and I’m excited to go play at Martin Methodist, I wanted to go to a four-year school, so it is something I really like,” Whaley said.

Tigert’s Tigers regain superb form Jason Tigert was entering his second season as head coach in Lewisburg and had the Tigers fired up after a 9-21 first season on the bench. Senior post player DeShaun Greer led a talented squad that included the sharpshooting 3-point crazy trio of Blaise Spencer, Ryan Nicholson, and Hunter Osborn. These guys could fill it up from anywhere on the court, plus they had great depth and experience with Cameron McCullough, Jamie Perryman, Michael Murphy, and Cody Duvall.

Forrest girls basketball coach Jeremy Jean resigned from his coaching position on Monday, citing personal reasons for his decision. “Being out of school for the coronavirus made me realize how much I miss out on,” Jean said. “I decided it was time for me to step down from coaching and be more present for my family.”

I was really excited about the 2007-2008 basketball season after experiencing some great hoops the prior year as both the Forrest Lady Rockets and Marshall County Tigerettes advanced to the state tournament with Lewisburg finishing as runner-ups. The Cornersville Lady Bulldogs had compiled a solid team with high hopes and were ready to make a run for district supremacy.

Just tell me it’s not true As we continue looking back into the past of the fall of 2007 in Marshall County sports history, it comes with a very heavy heart, broken actually. When I started this I knew at some point during the journey there was going to be a large amount of sadness, but I didn’t expect it to come this soon. I have never been the kind of sports writer that does things from a far, I like to be in the action, getting to know the coaches, the kids, and the parents. That comes with a price, most notably when one of the young athletes suddenly passes away. My first heartbreak was DeShaun Greer, who was a 2008 graduate of Marshall County High School, a great two-sport athlete for the Tigers, and an even better young man.