Carr drives in winner to back Scholl's pitching

Bears win Carter's MJ debut

From staff reports

MURFREESBORO — Cody Carr scored the first run and drove in the winning score on an infield hit to lift Campbell Scholl and Mt. Juliet to a season-opening 2-1 win at Siegel on Tuesday night.

Carr beat out a single up the middle which was stopped by a diving shortstop Chase Slone, a Siegel junior who played his freshman season at Lebanon when his father Tracy was the Blue Devil coach.

C.J. Kastner, who came in as a pinch runner for Kote Smith, who opened the Mt. Juliet sixth inning with a single, scored the tie-breaking run. Kastner advanced to second on Eli Mason's sacrifice bunt and to third on Zach Ehrhart's groundout.

Scholl scattered two hits and hit two batters. He gave up an unearned run in the fourth inning and got his ninth strikeout to end the game after Siegel put runners on the corners with two out in the seventh.

Jim Carter won his debut game as Mt. Juliet after coming over from Davidson Academy to replace longtime coach Mark Purvis last summer.

"It's a good way to start," said Carter, whose Bears will play their home opener at 6 p.m. tonight against LaVergne, a game which was rained out Monday. "These guys have responded well. They've worked hard in the offseason.

"These guys who know how to win."

Mt. Juliet grabbed a quick lead after Carr opened the game with a walk. He moved to second on Kyle Grace's sacrifice bunt and stole third, from where he scored on Hunter Gilbert's single to right field.

The Golden Bears had nine hits and as many opportunities to score, but didn't until the sixth.

"We had opportunities all game long," Carter said. "We got the leadoff man on in multiple innings. We stole five bases. We just didn't get that big hit.

"When we needed to, we did the little things. We executed just enough offensively, and Campbell did an awesome job."

Commanders drop opening pair in Gulf Shores

GULF SHORES, Ala. — Starting a day late due to rain, Friendship Christian began its season-opening spring-break trip with a 9-7 loss to Houston and a 1-0 setback to Clinton [Miss.]  in the Golf Coast Classic on Tuesday.

Houston led 4-0 midway through the second inning and broke the game open with four in the sixth before the Commanders, who outhit the Mustangs 10-8, scored three in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Austin Godwin drove in three Friendship runs on as many hits, including two doubles, while losing pitcher Stefan Remus racked up a pair of hits, one of which was a double. Cale Mitchell, Gunner Osborne and Tanner Martin also doubled.

Clinton scored in the bottom of the eighth inning to prevail despite being outhit 6-3.

Godwin struck out eight in seven innings before Caleb Snider took the loss in the eighth.

Michael Hawks had a pair of Friendship hits, including a double.

Friendship is scheduled to face Lewisburg [Miss.] at 3 p.m. today and Foley [Ala.] at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.