SPORTS

JUDGE, STANTON TAKE THE FIELD. 3B

THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2018
JOHN’S APPROACH SHOT
Isner an easy winner, returns
to Miami Open semi. 5B

BASEBALL 3B | PREP 4B | CLASSIFIEDS 7B | COMICS 10B

THE DAILY TIMES 1B

WB tennis christens courts with HVA sweep

BY WILL ESTEP
sports@thedailytimes.com
William Blount had two tennis
matches postponed last week,
delaying the opener of its new
courts. Finally, the Governors
and Lady Governors got some
good weather on Wednesday.
They also played some good
tennis.
In its first match on the new
home courts, both William
Blount boys and girls picked up
a District 4 Large Division win
SCOTT KELLER | THE DAILY TIMES over Hardin Valley Academy.
WILLIAM BLOUNT’S KIRATMARTINEK WITH a backhand in the girls three seed The girls finished with a 6-3
singles match Wednesday night at William Blount. victory while the boys earned
DISTRICT 4 LARGE
BOYS
WILLIAM BLOUNT 5, HVA 4
GIRLS
WILLIAM BLOUNT 6, HVA 3
a close 5-4 win in the season
opener.
William Blount didn’t get to
play a match at home last sea-
son. Before last year, WB did
have courts in the same spot
they are now, but they were torn
apart last season to build the
new ones.
“They love them,” William
Blount coach Wendy Petty said
of the players reaction to the
new courts. “We are really happy
to have some courts that we can
play on. Last year was a chal-
lenge so we are thankful to have
the courts.”
On the girls side, William
Blount took two out of three
doubles points. The duo of Shan-
non Martin and Katie Jordan
won a 9-7 battle at No. 1 dou-
bles over Hardin Valley’s Meriah
Senogles and Savana Joyeuse.
Mattey Rinicker and Lily Book-
out won at No. 3 doubles for the
Lady Governors in a 9-8 victory.
SEE COURTS, 4B

Lady Vol Vols coaches

pitchers prep
for Georgia
BY LAUREN MOORE
laurenm@thedailytimes.com
When South Carolina rocked
the Tennessee softball pitching
staff for an eight-run third inning
SEC SOFTBALL
NO. 6 GEORGIA
AT NO. 7 TENNESSEE
GM1: 5 p.m. Saturday
GM2: 6 p.m. Sunday
GM3: 7 p.m. Monday
Sunday, Ralph Weekly couldn’t
remember the last time a frame
like that occurred.
That was until a game at Auburn
over 10 years ago dawned on him.
It featured former UT standout
pitcher Monica Abbott in a way
the Lady Vol all-time strikeout
leader was never remembered for.
Abbott allowed four consecutive
home runs and beat herself up,
much like the Tennessee pitch-
ers did after allowing 28 runs on
27 hits in a three-game sweep
at South Carolina last weekend.
“We called it Bombs over Bagh-
dad,” said Weekly, laughing, of
Abbott’s off outing in the circle.
“Monica just couldn’t stand and
on the bus ride home was torn up
about it. She still ended up being
the greatest pitcher in NCAA
history.
“It happens and I really feel sor-
put stock in
scrimmages,
not practice
BY AUSTIN BORNHEIM
austinb@thedailytimes.com
KNOXVILLE — There’s a new
operating procedure with the
Tennessee football program
under Jeremy Pruitt, so it’s no
surprise when fans gets their
first look at the Vols this spring
it will look different than they’ve
seen the past few years.
Tennessee opted to have more
of a showcase, utilizing a convo-
luted scoring system for one-on-
one and group drills, and situ-
ational football, for the Orange
and White spring football game
under former head coach Butch
Jones.
No more under Pruitt.
“My goal is we’re going to
treat it just like it’s a game for
us,” Pruitt told reporters Tues-
day. “We want to prepare and
get used to our expectations
because everything is new. What
we’re doing is absolutely new
‘We want to prepare
and get used to our
TOM SHERLIN | THE DAILY TIMES expectations because
WILLIAM BLOUNT’S JARED YOUNG and Heritage’s Cory Kaun (8) collide during a double play attempt at
second base. everything is new.’

Distinct Cade-nce
ry for them when it’s happening. Jeremy Pruitt
We try to change as much as we UT head football coach
can, but it’s part of the game. It’s
like a quarterback. A quarter- from what these guys have been
back gets all the blame and all accustomed to.
the glory.” “That’s one of the things we
Abbott struggles versus the talk about going into spring

Braden’s three-hitter leads Heritage past WB

Tigers piggybacks what the
current pitching staff is going
through, where the potential
is there but it just wasn’t their
weekend.
“In SEC games, we are No. 12 in
pitching,” Weekly said. “A lot of
that came about this weekend.
We weren’t No. 12 going into the
weekend.”
Of the 28 runs scored on 27 hits,
Caylan Arnold was the biggest
culprit. The sophomore gave up
14 runs on the same amount of
hits in three games combined,
but the former Maryville stand-
out didn’t have much help.
Junoir Matty Moss, Tennessee’s
other top pitcher, was sidelined
with an illness on Friday and
wasn’t her usual self the last two
days. Moss tossed four innings on
Saturday, allowing two runs on
three hits. On Sunday, she threw
just 1.2 innings and allowed six
runs on five hits after Arnold was
shook.
Freshman Gabby Sprang, who
Visit our new location
SEE PITCHERS, 2B
practice: figuring out who the
guys are that love to compete
when the game is on the line.
The only way to figure that out
BY TAYLOR WHITE the first five batters with DISTRICT 4-AAA BASEBALL is to put them in a game-like
taylorw@thedailytimes.com little trouble before Carson situation, pick sides and let’s go.”
Wells drew a walk. HERITAGE 7, William Blount 1 Pruitt is still getting a feel
After the second inning That hiccup didn’t slow for his team — it was just this
the Heritage bats went him down as he got the next needed efficient outing with past weekend he mused he was
silent, but the damage had the Mountaineers (10-2, 4-0 “starting to like them” — and
already been done. District 4-AAA) scheduled competition has been a stick-
The Mountaineers struck ‘We just played to turn around and play ing point.
for six runs in the second again today against Halls. Everything he and his staff has
frame and cruised to a 7-1 well. We hit it, we “Everything was working done so far has been with the
win over William Blount for Cade,” Bennett said. “He goal of finding out which play-
behind the arm of Cade fielded it and we was just banging the zone, ers can contribute this fall.
Braden at William Blount and he’s just a really good Players haven’t been made
in a District 4-AAA, in- threw it well.’ pitcher. He throws strikes, available this spring and Pruitt
school contest Wednesday bangs the zone, he’s got has yet to single out a player.
afternoon. Robbie Bennett good off-speed pitches. He Part of that is by design as he
“We just played well,” Her- Heritage baseball coach just throws strikes. tries to figure out who can play
itage coach Robbie Bennett “It was big since we have and who can’t.
told The Daily Times. “We four batters before finally another game tomorrow, “We don’t have any starters,
hit it, we fielded it and we allowing a hit in the fourth and it was just good for him we don’t have any second-team
threw it well. When you inning. to get those pitches in and guys, third-team guys,” he said.
do all three of those things In all, he gave up three get those innings.” “We have a rep chart. Every-
good, good things are going hits, two of which came The game got off to simi- thing is being evaluated. I think
to happen out there.” on Cade Bochtler doubles, lar start for Isaac Morton as there’s only so much pressure
Braden was dialed in from and one run while striking
the opening pitch, getting out three batters in a much- SEE LEADS, 4B SEE STOCK, 5B

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