FORMER WILSON CO. PREP STARS

MARYVILLE — Two former Wilson County softball standouts have been honored by the Great South Athletic Conference for their play at Maryville College this season.

Former Friendship Christian standout Toni Waynick was named first team All-GSAC while Watertown High record holder Sarah Reeder was named to the All-Freshman team.

Waynick hit .327 for the 21-15 Maryville team, with two home runs and a team high 27 runs batted in. She is a two-time All-GSAC selection and was named to the GSAC All-Academic team.

Reeder led the squad with a pitching record of 12-7, throwing 11 complete games, striking out 64 batters in 102 innings. She led the team in appearances (24) and ERA (4.56).

WILSON CENTRAL LOCKS UP THIRD

MT. JULIET -- Wilson Central locked up a third place seed in this week’s District 9AAA tournament with a 7-3 victory Tuesday at Mt. Juliet High. The Wildcats improved to 22-8 overall and 8-4 in the district while Mt. Juliet slipped to 21-10, 10-2.

The loss dropped the Bears into second place in the 9AAA regular season standings, allowing Beech to take over the top spot.

Wilson Central pitcher Heath Daugherty (3-2) held Mt. Juliet in check the entire game, scattering seven hits while striking out three and walking just one batter. Only one MJ hit went for extra bases, a third inning triple by Justin Lopez.

The crafty senior righthander kept the powerful Bear lineup off balance with a sharp, biting curveball.

Cody Liddle paced the Wilson Central offense attack with a 3-for-3 effort, driving in a pair of runs. Russ Strong chipped in with a pair of hits while Brad Collins ripped a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth.

Starter Cody Carroll (3-3), the first of three Mt. Juliet pitchers, was tagged with the loss. He went five innings, allowed five hits and six runs while striking out four.

Central is expected to play LaVergne in the first round of the 9AAA tournament Friday at Mt. Juliet. The Bears will probably play Smyrna.

Over the weekend, Wilson Central swept a pair of Saturday games -- knocking off McGavock High 13-2 then defeating LaVergne 7-5 despite making seven errors.

Mt. Juliet dropped a 7-4 decision Saturday to Beech as the Bucs pounded out 13 hits and took advantage of four Mt. Juliet errors. Jake Harper (6-1) took the loss for the Bears.

PRIOR TO THURSDAY HOME GAME

Cumberland University will honor the late Stephen Wood and his contributions to the Bulldog baseball program before Thursday’s 1 p.m. twinbill against TranSouth Conference foe Martin Methodist.

Wood passed away April 21 at the age of 44 due to complications from liver cancer. He was a lifelong Midstate resident and Vanderbilt University graduate who helped greatly in the design and construction of the renovated baseball stadium and press box.

Head coach Woody Hunt will recognize Wood’s family prior to Thursday’s doubleheader against Martin Methodist, the last home series of the season for the Bulldogs.

CU and the Redhawks play a single game Friday at 1 p.m., highlighted by Senior Day pregame activities for 18 players -- Clint Alexander, Chuck Belote, Matt Burton, Babich Cowan, Will Curry, Zack Diekmann, Jeremiah McElwain, Chris Fanning, Mark Gividen, Corey Merrill, Eric Mull, James Parker, Blake Simmons, Eric Spivey, Richard Timbrook, Andrew Ward, Kyle West and Jeremy Wilson.

CU loses 2-of-3 at FHU -- Sam Kikla went 5-for-5 with eight RBIs as Cumberland outlasted Freed-Hardeman, 20-16, in eight innings in the opening game of a double-header, but the Lions came back with a 14-3 victory in the second game, splitting a baseball twinbill Saturday at Carnes Field in Henderson.

Cumberland (28-21, 13-5 TSAC) remains in a first-place tie with Trevecca despite losing the series at FHU. The Trojans lost a doubleheader Saturday to Lyon College and both teams will head into this week’s final series tied for first place. Freed-Hardeman (28-14, 12-7) solidified its position in third place with the series victory and can still mathematically win the conference.

Cumberland blew a 13-2 lead in the opener, as FHU scored eight runs in the fifth and then six runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the contest at 16.

But Kikla drove in a run, Michael Wheeler added two RBIs and Matt Holliman had a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning to retake the lead in a contest that lasted nearly three-and-a-half hours.

Richard Timbrook came on to get the final three outs and the save, but not before loading the bases with just one out. Eric Spivey (2-2), the fourth of five CU hurlers in the contest, picked up the victory, facing one batter and getting the final out of the seventh.

Starter Robert Post allowed two runs on four hits in four innings of work and left with a 13-2 lead. He walked four and struck out four.

There’s plenty of action on tap the next couple of days for local prep softball teams.

Friendship Christian is scheduled to host Father Ryan Wednesday in a 5 p.m. contest and will entertain District 8A rival Westmoreland Thursday at 4:30 p.m.

Lebanon High visits District 7AAA rival Oakland tonight at 6 p.m. followed by a Thursday night trip to Riverdale.

Mt. Juliet is scheduled to host Smyrna Thursday in a 4 p.m. District 9AAA game. The Lady Bears play in Morristown this weekend.

Wilson Central will host Galaltin Thursday at 4:30 p.m. and will play at Hendersonville April 27 in a 4 p.m. game.

Watertown High travels to Crump Paris Park in South Carthage to play Gordonsville High Thursday, April 23 in a 4:30 p.m. contest, then visit Clay County Friday afternoon.

Mt. Juliet Christian Academy will host Trousdale County High Thursday afternoon in a District 8A single game. The first pitch is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.

Joey Logano

SATURDAY AT NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY

GLADEVILLE -- Joe Gibbs Racing’s Joey Logano slipped past teammate Kyle Busch with nine laps to go and hung on to win the NASCAR Nationwide 300 race at Nashville Superspeedway Saturday.

The victory was Logano’s first of the season and second of his young career. The 18-year-old also won last year at Kentucky Speedway.

"It’s been awhile," a smiling Logano said after the race. "We had a really good run here the last time we were here and got caught up in a wreck. It was awesome to be able to get that win this time. Ever since I’ve been coming to Nashville I’ve been wanting to win that guitar and this is just awesome."

The track awards a unique trophy to the race winner, a Sam Bass-painted Gibson Les Paul guitar, which Logano proudly carried home in a case after the race.