Lee advances at NCCAA tournament and other sports news

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Arkansas-SEMO Live Blog

Senior guard Hollie German got within 12 points of the Lee University women's basketball career scoring record as the top-seeded Lady Flames beat eighth-seeded host Grace College 66-58 in the quarterfinals of the National Christian College Athletic Association Division I tournament Wednesday in Winona Lake, Ind. German was limited to 23 minutes of playing time because of foul trouble but scored 23 points, including 11-of-11 free-throw shooting, to reach 2,259 for the Lady Flames (24-5). They play Roberts Wesleyan, which upset third-seeded Oklahoma Christian, at 3:30 p.m. today. Vikki Clemmons scored 2,271 in her 1987-90 career. Also for Lee, which won NCCAA women's titles in 1985 and 1999, Jenna Adams had 13 points and nine rebounds.

Baseball

• The Bryan College baseball team hosted and defeated Lee University 6-5 on Wednesday evening. Tyler Latham and Grant Zawadzki were each 2-for-3 with Latham hitting a double for Bryan (17-12). Preston King, who doubled, and Cody Rhinehart were each 2-for-4 in the victory. Justin Morhardt homered and drove in four runs for the Lions. Jared Breazeale was the winning pitcher. Siosi Poti went 2-for-4 for Lee (19-8). Zacary Hawkins had a home run and two RBIs.

• The Berry College baseball team blew an eight-run lead against visiting Covenant College but then overcame a five-run deficit and won 16-15 in 13 innings Tuesday. The almost-five-hour game was moved to Rome because of fog on Lookout Mountain. The teams totaled 42 hits, 22 for Covenant, which scored three runs in the sixth inning and 10 in the seventh to go up 14-9 but gave up six runs in the next two innings while adding one in the eighth. Alex McGill was 5-for-7 with three RBIs for Berry (15-5), and he scored the winning run on a throwing error after his second double, giving Danny Parry the pitching win for 5 2/3 innings of two-hit relief. Scott Gillespie and Z Arima each was 4-for-6 for the Scots (9-6), and Gillespie homered and matched David Lockwood's three RBIs and three runs scored. Will Cleland and Chris Rollins each had three hits and two RBIs and Paul Phillips was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs in defeat.

Softball

• Lee University split games in a home softball doubleheader Wednesday against Bryan, winning 11-6 before losing 12-8. Lee's Amanda Lynn was 5-for-8 on the day with an RBI, five runs scored and two stolen bases for Lee (13-13). Lexie Dean was 4-for-8 with a double in each game, four RBIs and three runs scored. Meg Macias was 3-for-7 with a home run, five RBIs and two runs scored. Heidi Daniel was 5-for-7 for Bryan (13-12) with three homers, one a grand slam, a double, eight RBIs and six runs scored. Bryan's Katelyn Bowen was 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs in the first game and Mariam Wood was 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored in the second game. Annabeth Pruett earned the pitching victory for Lee. Kaitie Simms was Bryan's winning pitcher.

• Tennessee Temple defeated Hiwassee College 4-2 and 5-1 in a doubleheader. Savannah Brownlee was the winning pitcher in the first game. She allowed four hits and no earned runs while striking out 10 and she also went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Raven Pope was 4-for-4 with a triple and double in the second game and drove in two runs for Temple. Winning pitcher Megan Roysden gave up one hit and struck out nine.

• The nationally third-ranked Tennessee softball team pulled out a 9-8 win over Middle Tennessee State with Rainey Gaffin's bases-loaded single in the bottom of the seventh inning Tuesday night in the inaugural Mid-State Classic at chilly Ridley Park in Columbia, Tenn. Gaffin was 4-for-4 with two RBIs and Madison Shipman and Lexi Overstreet each had two RBIs for the Lady Vols (25-3), and Ellen Renfroe improved her pitching record to 16-0 despite allowing the eight runs. Nina Dever had a three-run homer in the sixth inning and a go-ahead two-run double in the seventh for MTSU (6-23), which earlier got a two-run homer from Laura Dukes. Annie Aldrete, the reigning SEC freshman of the week, hit a tying home run for Tennessee in the seventh, and then Overstreet reached base on an error and Haley Tobler and pinch-hitter Cheyanne Tarango singled to load the bases for Gaffin.

GOLF

• University of Tennessee at Chattanooga senior Jordan Britt earned Southern Conference Golfer of the Week honors on Wednesday for the second time in four weeks. The former Signal Mountain star tied for fourth at the 3M Jaguar Intercollegiate at Forest Hills Golf Club in Augusta, Ga. She shot a 7-over 223 including a final-round 72 to earn her fourth top-five finish of the year. "Jordan was certainly the highlight for us this past week," coach Colette Murray said in a school release. UTC placed 11th and will return to competition on Monday in Charleston, S.C.

Swimming

• Sewanee senior Astrid Escobar will compete Friday and Saturday in the 100- and 200-yard women's breaststroke events at the NCAA Division III national swim meet in Indianapolis. She was an optional qualifier in the 50 freestyle. A three-time breaststroke All-American, Escobar finished 15th in the 100 and 16th in the 200 last year, and she has Division III's 13th best 100 time this season.

Tennis

• Dalton State's Laura Winter and Chelsea Powell won 8-5 in doubles in their first-year tennis team's 8-1 loss Tuesday to Brenau in Gainesville, Ga. Brenau is ranked No. 7 in the NAIA; DSC is 6-3.