Central Georgia Sports ReportMay 26, 2022Comment

Thursday's Report: GMC softball, Alumni: Tattnall, Macon Bacon's female assistant, roster, Mercer🏀; Braves, UGA; college ⚾

Central Georgia Sports ReportMay 26, 2022Comment

Wednesday's Central Georgia - and of interest to Central Georgia - news and notes, compiled from staff reports, email reports, the web, and social media.

⚽🎾🥎⚽⚽⚽📰S📰C📰O📰R📰E📰B📰O📰A📰R📰D📰

College
⚾ ⚾ ⚾Baseball ⚾ ⚾ ⚾

Liberty 12, Kennesaw State 6, ASUN Tournament

🥎 🥎 🥎Softball 🥎 🥎 🥎

Southern Idaho 6, Middle Georgia State 3, NJCAA Tournament

MLB

Atlanta 8, Philadelphia 4

📰C📰O📰V📰E📰R📰A📰G📰E📰

Texas school shooting

Tampa Bay pitcher Raley is from Uvalde

Heat hold moment of silence, encourage calls for reform

Shooting brings back memories of Parkland for Spoelstra

Vikings visit local elementary school day after tragedy

Prescott: ‘it makes me fearful to have children’

Alumni Update

Honors keep rolling in for Tattnall’s Gordon

Around/About Central Georgia

Big sixth inning dooms GMC

The pitching duel was going in GMC’s favor for five innings, the Bulldogs leading 3-1.

But ninth seed Southern Idaho put five across in the bottom of the sixth en route to a 6-3 win over 16th seed GMC in an elimination game of the NJCAA national softball tournament in Yuma, Ariz.

The Bulldogs’ season ended at 38-23.

Jana Shellhorse was in a groove for GMC with a one-run four-hitter through five, twice retiring Southern Idaho in order.

But the first five batters in the bottom of the sixth reached and two scored, followed by a three-run homer. Shellhorse then got three straight outs, but serious damage was done.

GMC had some spark left, but a double play ended the game after two hits in the top of the seventh.

Avien Trull had three hits and Avery Mercer two for the Bulldogs.

Bacon add female softball player to coaching staff

Central Georgia connections on Bacon’s initial roster

With dozens of potential players still in action in college baseball, the Macon Bacon have an opening-day roster that includes three Central Georgia high school alums and four Middle Georgia State players, plus one from Georgia College.

Hunter Varnadoe is a pitcher from Veterans and MGSU, joined by current Knights’ teammates Brain Herrera, Ronald Zayas, and Ryan Wilson. MGSU finished 30-21-1 and reached an NAIA regional in Miami Gardens.

FPD grad Harrison Aulds just completed his sophomore year at Augusta of the Peach Belt Conference, finishing second on the team with a .325 average and 31 RBI, and tied for third in hits.

Austin Emener of FPD went 0-3 with four saves for North Alabama of the ASUN, striking out 60 in 46.2 innings and leading the Lions with a 6.56 ERA and 24 appearances in 53 games.

Georgia College’s Dominic Arienzo is a redshirt freshman infielder from Morgan County who hit .250 in 30 games for the 33-20 Bobcats and was sixth with three steals in part-time duty.

With Division I conferences just starting their tournaments, and Division II at the Super Regional stage, rosters are a week or two from expanding, and Macon will no doubt adding more with Central Georgia connections.

The Bacon open the season Thursday at Lexington County, and then welcome Florence on Friday. Tickets are still available.

Around/About Georgia/Southeast

Atlanta takes advantage of Phillies’ defensive phlubs

Acuna scratched

Smart says Georgia will keep spending on stuff

College baseball postseason

Weather forces Sun Belt to single elimination

Pac-12 adds postseason tournament

Tennessee chasing GOAT status, starting with SEC tourney

All-ASUN team

Southern Conference Tournament

SEC Tournament