Thursday's Daily News 'n Notes: Scoreboard; Macon Bacon; Positive Athletes list; Mercer; Felton/Valdosta; Hawks, UGA/Tech; NBA
Thursday's Central Georgia - and of interest to Central Georgia - news and notes, compiled from staff reports, email reports, the web, and social media.
In Coverage: The Macon Bacon opened up the season Thursday night at Savannah, and are at home Friday. Get ticket info, a look at the roster, and more.
Scoreboard
College
Baseball
Samford 10, Mercer 8; Southern Conference Tournament
Mississippi 4, Georgia 0; SEC Tournament, UGA eliminated
Georgia Tech 9, Louisville 8; ACC Tournament
Summer Baseball
Coastal
COVERAGE
Signings
At Warner Robins: Kai Washington signed with Troy for track and field.
At FPD: Class A Private state pole vault champ Bowen Kramer signed with Lee in Tennessee.
Around/About Central Georgia
Scores of Central Georgians on Positive Athletes list
Some of Central Georgia’s top high school athletes are also among its most positive.
Nearly two dozen area high schoolers made the Positive Athlete.org list from its Middle Georgia region. Positive Athlete is “a movement by high-character professional athletes tied to professional and collegiate sports teams to promote the benefits of "positivity" to young athletes.”
Perry was named the most positive school. Jessica Leaptrot of Dublin is the girls coach winner.
Multi-sport athletes honored are Ashli Reed of East Laurens and Greyson Clark of West Laurens, with Anabelle Putman of Perry in Adapted Sports.
Alternative sports selections are Chlose Grant of Peach County and Tyrese Burney of Westside, and Northeast’s Jatirian Wooten of Northeast was picked for cheerleading.
In girls and boys sports, the female is listed first.
Basketball: Grace Hiller of Tattnall
Cross Country: Emily Lester of John Hancock
Golf: Lucy Wiegert of Bleckley County, Ben Jamison of Stratford
Soccer: Tiona Braswell of Central, Demetrius Brown II of Veterans
Swimming/diving: Braya Vaden of Perry, Charles Gaines of ACE
Tennis: Gracelynn Williams of Dublin
Track & field: Farinaz Zahiri of Warner Robins, Justin Wachtel of Mary Persons
In single-sex sports:
Football: Camron Foreman of Rutland
Lacrosse: Graham Meyer of FPD
Softball: Ava Roland of Dodge County
Volleyball: Lindsey Gowan of Mount de Sales
Wrestling: Gabe Anderson of Jones County
Some Central Georgia schools are part of the group in other regions.
Dooly County’s Phillip Hale is West Georgia’s coach, with Taylor County’s Haylee Roberts in cheerleading.
Savannah knocks off Macon in CPL opener
Macon’s 2-0 lead after one lasted into the second, and Savannah added runs in three innings for a 6-3 win over the visiting Bacon in the Coastal Plain League opener for both teams.
The Bananas sealed it with two in the bottom of the eighth.
Nik Levensteins went 3 for 4 with a run and RBI for Macon. John Milledge grad Brandon Bellflower went 2 for 4 with two runs, and Tim Conway had two hits.
Macon is at home Friday night against Florence.
Samford belts two-run walk-off to stun Mercer
A game that seemed destined for extra innings ended with Brooks Carlson’s two-run walk-off homer to left-center to give Samford a 10-8 win over Mercer in the Southern Conference Tournament in Greenville, S.C.
Garett Delano was hit by a pitch and sacrificed to second in the top of the ninth. Brandon Michie walked, and both advanced on a wild pitch. One out later, Angelo DiSpigna was intentionally walked to load the bases, but pinch-hitter Jackson Cherry struck out.
Reliever Tommy Green got an out and then gave up an infield single. Carlson’s fifth homer of the year came on the second pitch.
Mercer faces top-seeded Wofford – upset 16-5 by Western Carolina – at 3:30 p.m. on Friday in an elimination game. Samford and WCU go at 7 p.m. If Mercer wins, it plays at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.
The third seeded Bears (35-21) took a 1-0 in the third, the Bulldogs (33-22) tying it an inning later. Samford answered Mercer’s two in the fifth with one, and then countered the Bears’ one in the sixth with four for a 6-4 lead.
Mercer took it back with three in the seventh.
Bill Knight was hit, and R.J. Yeager and Delano followed with doubles. Two walks and a run-scoring double play put Mercer up 7-6.
They added one in the eighth, but the Bulldogs tied it up again with two in the bottom of the eighth, the first three batters getting on, followed by two outs. Samford stranded runners on second and third.
Samford outhit Mercer 18-8, and gave up nine walks. Mercer starter Jackson Kelley struck out nine with a walk in five innings.
Mercer women add Vandy assistant, former standout to staff
2021 football schedule set for Mercer
Around/About Georgia/Southeast
Fired for cheating at Tennessee, Felton interim at Valdosta for 2021
How much help will the home court bring Atlanta?
Hawks alerting refs about illegal screens
Knicks react immediately to fan spitting on Young
ACC: Tech advances with walk-off
SEC: No O for Georgia, ousted in shutout
UGA eyeing all sorts of improvements and added conveniences
Southern Conference baseball tournament
NBA/WNBA
Sixers, Knicks take steps against fans
Utah bans fans after altercation with Morant’s family
Lakers dumps the Suns for 2-1 lead
Baseball
Remarkable screwball play with Pittsburgh and Chicago …
NFL
Is Watson with the Texans in OTAs?
Eagles make history, promote woman to executive VP spot
Young group of Titans working out
College Football
Full bowl lineup is back for this year
Around the nation/world
Federer enters French Open very well rested