As always, it was a busy first day of Spring Fling on Tuesday. Let's take a look at the results from across Williamson County and the Nashville area.
Nolensville Baseball and Softball
Pekka Johnson The Goat has become a familiar presence in the crowd at Nolensville’s softball and baseball games this spring.
He was in Murfreesboro, giving good vibes to the Lady Knights’ softball team during a 2-0 win over Arlington in the first round of the Class 4A tournament at McKnight Park on Tuesday.
“Rally goat,” Nolensville softball coach Luke Patton said of Pekka.
A Nolensville alum brought Williamson County’s celebrity goat to the game before the first pitch and the softball players gathered around him.
“Honestly, when we all saw him walk in, it was just smiles and I think we just kind of let loose and were, like, ‘OK, we’re at home,’ Nolensville pitcher Madi Creasman said. “Like, we have the goat, we have our fans, we have each other. Let’s go out and play the best we can.”
Creasman calls Pekka the Knights’ unofficial mascot.
Pekka lives on the Phelps farm near Nolensville’s baseball field and he kept wandering over to the softball and baseball practices and games this spring.
“He’s been at every game,” Patton said.
No one was certain if Pekka made it to Nolensville’s baseball game at Oakland High School, but the Knights also enjoyed a dominant pitching performance in a 5-2 win over Oak Ridge in the first round.
Keagan Meece, the Knights center fielder in baseball, was hoping Pekka would be at the game against Oak Ridge.
“We sent a message out to try and bring him over here,” Meece said. “I think that’s our good-luck charm, for sure.”
Meece said Pekka was raised by people as a kid after being rejected by his mom.
“So, I think this is kind of his family now,” Meece said. “He’s one of us. We see him and it’s just a good mood going around, so it’s awesome.”
Nolensville catcher Evan McElvain said Pekka comes into the dugout occasionally.
“We adopted him, pretty much,” McElvain said.
The Knights baseball players and coaches bleached their hair blond for the state tournament.
Knights baseball coach Zach Hudson said the blond hair color was the players’ idea.
“My 11-year-old did it,” Hudson said. “Honestly, I wasn’t going to do it. My wife talked me into it. Team-bonding thing.”
Nolensville pitcher Bo Holloway said the players vowed they would bleach their hair blond if they made it to state.
“The whole team bleached,” Holloway said. “Even the coaches bleached and their sons bleached, so it shows a lot about our team chemistry.”
McElvain wasn’t going to bleach his hair, but when he heard everyone else was, he couldn’t resist.
“I just joined the squad,” McElvain said.
Holloway allowed only two runs in five innings and reliever Tate Riggs struck out the first five batters he faced in the last two innings.
“Oh, my fastball was working really well today and my slider was off,” said Holloway, whose fastball has been clocked at 93 mph. “Tate is just electric on the mound.”
McElvain threw out a runner trying to steal second base and helped catch two Oak Ridge players in rundowns.
His oldest brother, Chris, pitched at Vanderbilt and is in High A ball with Toronto now.
His other brother, Ethan, is a freshman pitcher at Vanderbilt.
So how did he wind up at catcher?
“During COVID I was the only one that could catch them because everybody else was in lockdown, so that’s how I became a catcher,” McElvain said. “Defense is what I work the hardest on.”
Meece stole home in the third inning.
“I know no team is expecting something that crazy to happen,” Meece said. “We just took a chance at it. I don’t think the pitcher was ready for it.”
Nolensville softball (32-9) will play Arlington (32-5) in the second round at Oakland at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Creasman struck out six straight batters early in the game.
“The most important thing with her is just poise,” Patton said. “She doesn’t get fazed by too much.”
Bilbrey and Addi Leichty had RBIs for Nolensville in a pitchers’ duel.
“It feels great to be able to help out my pitcher,” Bilbrey said.
Arlington coach Brandon Morgan said his team was chasing balls up in the strike zone.
Morgan underwent skin cancer surgery three weeks ago and sinus surgery Monday, but still coached.
“I try to lead by example by what I do,” Morgan said. “I’m out here giving my all, so I expect them to give their all.”
Nolensville baseball (32-7-2) will face Dobyns-Bennett (32-11) in the second round at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Starplex.
Someone remind Pekka.
Other Local Baseball Scores:
Division II-A:
Goodpasture 4 Boyd Buchanan 2
Division II-AA:
Briarcrest 14CPA 2
Other Local Softball Scores:
Division II-AA:
St. Benedict 6CPA 2
Soccer
Ravenwood (17-2-4) continued its impressive postseason run on Tuesday, knocking off previously unbeaten Houston (19-1-1) in the quarterfinals of the Class AAA state tournament with a 3-2 result.
Senior Noah Bjorkman got the Raptors on the scoreboard first in just fourth minute after firing one into the net off an assist from junior Spencer Brown.
Ravenwood pushed the lead to 2-0 when senior Charles Ayers sent in a free kick from 25 yards out that fellow senior Hayes Grismore slotted home for the score in the 20th minute.
Houston tied things up with a pair of second-half goals. Drew McKeithen scored first in the 55th followed by the equalizer from Trinden Holliday with under six minutes to play.
But, just over 30 seconds later, the Raptors responded with the game-winner. In the 75th minute, Bjorkman earned a brace to send Ravenwood onto the semifinals and eliminate the previously undefeated Houston.
Ravenwood will face Howard (15-2-1) in the semifinals on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m.
Other Local Soccer Scores:
Class A:
CSAS 5STEM Prep Academy 0
Tennis
Boys:
Class A:
Merrol Hyde 4 Obion County 0
Class AA:
Brentwood 4 Collierville 0
Division II-AA:
McCallie 4Ensworth 0
Girls:
Class AA:
Brentwood 4 Tennessee HS 0
Track and Field
Class A Boys:
1600m:
Third, Ryan Breitling, Merrol Hyde, 4:42.82
400m:
Second, Julius Turnipseed, KIPP, 48.99
200m:
Third, Julius Turnipseed, KIPP, 22.53
Class A Girls:
Long Jump:
Second, Aziaah Shute, East Nashville, 16-9
High Jump:
First, Amiaya Shute, East Nashville, 5-0
Triple Jump:
First, Averyuna Beckley, East Nashville, 36-3.50
Second, Aziaah Shute, East Nashville, 36-2
100m Hurdles:
Second, Aziaah Shute, East Nashville, 16.03
4x100m:
Second, Whites Creek
Third, East Nashville, (JaMya Horton, Kylia Baker, Averyuna Beckley, Johnne' Newsom), 50.82
4x400m:
Third, East Nashville (Kylia Baker, Jazell Freeman, Aziaah Shute, Averyuna Beckley), 4:16.02
Class AA Boys:
1600m:
Third, Wyatt Boling, Martin Luther King, 4:33.97
4x100m:
Third, Pearl Cohn, (Javion Kinnard, Jalen Amos, Deanthony Nelson, Jayden Peoples), 43.19
400m:
First, Josh Sims, Pearl Cohn, 49.41
200m:
First, Josh Sims, Pearl Cohn, 22.35
Class AA Girls:
Discus:
First, LaNaya Roberts, Martin Luther King, 126-11
Second, Beyonca Lovelace Coleman, Martin Luther King, 126-1
Shot Put:
First, Carolyn McRee, Maplewood, 40-8.75
4x800M:
First, Fairview (Ries Lerond, Andi Lerond, Loren Sloan, Katelyn McHenry), 9:51.21
100m Hurdles:
Second, Amya Joy, Martin Luther King, 15.65
100m:
First, Aaliyah Varnado, Martin Luther King, 11.95
Third, Gabby Hoskins, Hume-Fogg, 12.44
4x200m:
First, Pearl Cohn (Cha'raya Hawkins, Erianna Thoma,s Miyah Martin, Meeshya Harris-rucker), 1:40.33
Second, Martin Luther King (Harper Gibson, Dakiya Horton, Amya Joy, Aaliyah Varnado), 1:42.20
4x100m:
Second, Martin Luther King, (Ajara Jallow, Dakiya Horton, Amya Joy, Aaliyah Varnado), 48.29
Third, Pearl Cohn (Miyah Martin, Cha'raya Hawkins, Erianna Thomas, Meeshya Harris-rucker), 49.46
400m:
First, Chyna Harris-Rucker, Pearl Cohn, 56.16
200m:
First, Aaliyah Varnado, Martin Luther King, 24.24
Third, Gabby Hoskins, Hume-Fogg, 25.65
3200m:
Third, Kyrian Sychareune, Hume-Fogg, 11:23.71
4x400m:
First, Pearl Cohn (Meeshya Harris-rucker, Cha'raya Hawkins, Karrington Higgins, Chyna Harris-Rucker), 4:01.64
