Bears turn tables on Smyrna's Gray

MT. JULIET — Less than two weeks after being overpowered by Smyrna's Sonny Gray, Mt. Juliet turned the tables on the junior right-hander in the rematch Tuesday night.
Dustin Murphy blasted a three-run homer and B.J. Boston, working on three-days rest, kept the Bulldogs at bat in a 4-1 Mt. Juliet victory.
"It was a great atmosphere, great crowd, great night," Mt. Juliet coach Mark Purvis said after his Golden Bears moved to 16-8 for the season and stayed in the District 9-AAA race at 4-2. Smyrna slipped to 19-4, 5-1.
Josh Cotham and Ryan Overstreet drew two-out walks in the Mt. Juliet second and trotted home on Murphy's home run off a mid-90s fastball.
"The first inning, he was just like he showed at his place," Purvis said of Gray, who no-hit the Bears on April 4. "In the second, he walked a couple and gave us a little confidence.
"[Murphy's home run] gave us a little confidence and he wasn't the same after that."
Mt. Juliet got another run in the third when Lance Harrington and Taylor Hill singled. Harrington scored when a potential double-play grounder was thrown away.
Boston [4-2] scattered three hits and two walks while striking out 11 in seven innings.
"B.J. gutted out a win," Purvis said. "He got tired after the fourth."
Gray still put up good numbers, allowing five hits and three walks while notching nine strikeouts.
Mt. Juliet will stay in the district tonight when the Bears go to LaVergne for a 7 p.m. game.

Blue Devils go down swinging to top-ranked Oakland 7-3
Lebanon gave the state's No. 1-ranked team a battle Tuesday night before Oakland got out of Veterans Field with a 7-3 win.
The Patriots, ranked No. 11 in the nation by USA Today, outhit Lebanon 12-10 as they improved to 28-1 with their lone loss coming to District 7-AAA rival Cookeville.
Leadoff batter Tyler Burnett opened the game with a home run off Christian Jennings and went 4-for-4.
But Lebanon stayed within striking distance until the Blue Devils' only error let in two unearned runs in the seventh.
"We played a pretty good baseball game against a good baseball team," Lebanon coach Tracy Slone said after his Blue Devils dropped to 11-14, 1-6. "If we play like we did tonight, we'll end up pretty good, I'm hoping."
Jennings walked two and struck out six.
Drew Brockette had two of Lebanon's hits as he and Dexter Cross connected for RBI singles in the Blue Devils' two-run third inning, bringing the hosts within 3-2. Brent Morris managed two hits while Jennings, Daniel Harrison, Callen Harrell and Garrett Fanchier each finished with one.
The teams will get a rematch at 6:30 p.m. tonight in Murfreesboro.

Saints succumb to Westmoreland
WESTMORELAND — Westmoreland overcame an early Mt. Juliet Christian lead to sink the Saints 15-5 in a District 8-A game Tuesday.
The Saints led 1-0 in the top of the first inning before Westmoreland scored four times in the bottom of the inning and eight in the second.
Westmoreland collected 11 hits against losing pitcher Jonathan Roberts [1-2] and reliever T.J. Roberts.
Codye Sullivan drove in two runs on two of Mt. Juliet Christian's three hits while Tyler Holloway had the other hit. Daniel Shedd drove in a run on a groundout.
Mt. Juliet Christian will host Gordonsville at 4 p.m. Thursday.