Howard strings together scoreless appearances; Evans helps team win third straight conference title

ATHLETES BEYOND BARTOW

Sam Howard made three scoreless appearances last week for the Pirates earning his second win and fourth hold of the season.

Another week and another three scoreless appearances from Sam Howard.

The former Cartersville High hurler is becoming an extremely dependable left-handed reliever out of the Pittsburgh Pirates bullpen. Over the past seven days, Howard earned his second win and fourth hold in just nine outings.

Elsewhere, Canes volleyball standout Nedu Evans helped Augusta win a third consecutive Peach Belt Conference tournament championship. The sophomore racked up 19 total kills across the semifinals and finals.

PRO BASEBALL

Sam Howard (Pittsburgh Pirates; Cartersville HS) — Howard picked up his second win and fourth hold of the season across three appearances last week. He was inserted in the seventh inning of a 2-2 game Thursday at Detroit and retired both batters he faced. The Pirates scored twice in the top of the eighth with Howard as the pitcher of record in an eventual 4-2 victory. Friday at Minnesota, the southpaw worked the eighth inning in a no-decision appearance, striking out all three Twins faced during a 2-0 Pirates loss. On Sunday with Pittsburgh leading 2-1, the 28-year-old entered with one out in the sixth inning and induced a groundout before striking out Jorge Polanco to end the frame. The Pirates went on to win 6-2. Howard has now appeared in relief in a dozen games this season. In nine total innings of work, he is 2-1 with 13 strikeouts and a 2.00 ERA. Opponents have a mere .103 batting average against him and his WHIP is at 0.89.

COLLEGE BASEBALL

Levi Ayers (Young Harris Jr., Cartersville HS) — Ayers made a one-inning appearance in a loss to sixth-ranked Lee University last Wednesday at home. He allowed a pair of earned runs on two hits and one walk. He struck out two. Monday at Columbus State, Ayers entered in the third inning and faced 10 batters, retiring four. He gave up five earned runs on five hits and one walk, while fanning two in an eventual 16-11 loss. With only four teams qualifying for the postseason this year in the Peach Belt Conference, the Mountain Lions (19-16, 17-13) find themselves in a battle with Columbus State, USC-Aiken and Georgia College for the final two conference playoff spots.

Mason Barnett (Auburn So., Cartersville HS) — Barnett started on the mound Wednesday at home against Jacksonville State and pitched only the first inning during a game in which the Tigers utilized seven different pitchers. The right hander retired all three batters he faced and recorded one strikeout in a game the Tigers won 8-7 in 10 innings. Sunday, he worked the middle three innings and was tabbed with a loss despite allowing only one, unearned run to 10th-ranked Florida. Barnett yielded just two hits and struck out four of the 11 batters he faced in the fourth through sixth innings in a 6-4 Gators win. In 12 appearances this season, he is 2-3 with one save and has a 3.75 ERA. Auburn (17-20, 3-15) has a three-game SEC series Thursday through Saturday at Georgia.

Clifton Dempsey (Toccoa Falls Sr., Cartersville HS) — While his team went 0-4 for the week with one loss at Truett McConnell, two at Georgia Gwinnett and one at Johnson University in Knoxville, Dempsey was 2-for-12 at the plate with four walks, two runs scored and one RBI. The Screaming Eagles (12-21) were scheduled for a doubleheader Tuesday at Reinhardt and slated Saturday to host Alice Lloyd College.

Jake Gooch (Central Alabama CC So., Cartersville HS) — Gooch went 7-for-12 including two doubles and seven RBIs last week in a four-game series with Lawson State CC. Gooch raised his season batting average to .329 with 45 RBIs across 48 games played and 155 at bats. The Trojans (23-29, 11-17 Alabama Community College Conference) wrap up the regular season Thursday and Saturday with home-and-home doubleheaders against Wallace State-Hanceville.

Lane Griffith (West Georgia Sr., Adairsville HS) — Griffith went 1-for-6 at the plate and was hit by a pitch twice in Sunday’s doubleheader split at home against ninth-ranked West Florida. He then finished 0-for-4 in Monday’s Game 3 against the Argonauts. West Georgia (15-21, 14-19 Gulf South Conference) finishes the regular season this weekend with a three-game series against Christian Brothers.

Brycen Jones (Central Alabama CC Fr., Cartersville HS) — Jones pitched the fourth and fifth innings during an 8-7 loss last Friday at Lawson State CC. Jones faced 11 batters, allowing one earned run on three hits and three walks. He struck out two.

Logan Nelson (Truett McConnell Fr., Cass HS) — Nelson was inserted defensively last Tuesday but did not have a plate appearance in a 10-7 win over Toccoa Falls College. The Bears also won one of three games with Columbia International for a 2-2 week. TMU (25-18, 13-13 Appalachian Athletic Conference) were set to host eighth-ranked Georgia Gwinnett Tuesday and entertain 23rd-ranked Reinhardt Thursday and Friday in a conference three-game set.

Harrison Osborn (Point Jr., Cartersville HS) — Osborn retired all three batters he faced in the seventh inning of a 10-2 home loss Friday to No. 1-ranked Tennessee Wesleyan. Point (21-19, 14-12 Appalachian Athletic Conference) was scheduled to travel Tuesday to fifth-ranked Faulkner before hosting 14th-ranked Bryan College for three games Friday and Saturday.

Preston Welchel (Coastal Alabama-Bay Minette Fr., Cartersville HS) — While the Sun Chiefs swept a four game series over Wallace State-Selma, Welchel contributed with a 5-for-10 series that included two doubles, four walks, six runs scored and five RBIs. The outfielder now has a .310 batting average in 47 games and 126 at bats. He has three home runs and 31 RBIs. Central Alabama-Bay Minette (21-30, 13-15) hosts Lurleen B. Wallace CC Thursday and travels to LBWCC Saturday.

Cohen Wilbanks (Cleveland State CC Fr., Cartersville HS) — Wilbanks coaxed a walk and scored one run in four plate appearances last Wednesday during a 15-4 win at Maryville College. The Cougars finished the regular season with a 19-21 record and were 11-15 in the Tennessee Community College Athletic Association’s East Division. CSCC plays Roane State CC Tuesday in a conference tournament play-in game.

Jordan Wilkie (Augusta Fr., Cartersville HS) — Wilkie drew a start at second base and went 1-for-5 with a run scored in a 14-11 loss Sunday at Georgia College. Augusta (8-25, 4-24 Peach Belt Conference) will conclude the season with three games Friday and Saturday at Young Harris.

Zach Wilson (Penn State-Greater Allegheny Fr., Woodland HS) — Wilson entered defensively but did not have a plate appearance in a 16-11 home loss Friday to Penn State-Mont Alto. He then made a start and was 0-for-3 in a 3-2 loss Saturday at PSU-Mont Alto Saturday. In a 14-7 victory over Penn State-Fayette, Wilson finished 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBIs Monday at home.

PRO BASKETBALL

A.J. Mosby (Shreveport Mavericks; Cartersville HS) — Mosby led the Mavs to their fifth straight win, scoring a game-high 33 points, in a 105-99 triumph against Little Rock Sunday at home. The day prior, the former NBA G Leaguer finished with 11 points in a 113-97 victory in Lewisville, Texas.

FOOTBALL

Terry Berdin (Reinhardt Jr., Cartersville HS) — Berdin didn’t receive any touches but did see time on the field in Reinhardt’s season-ending 42-14 loss Saturday at Keiser.

Bryce Wilkins (Reinhardt Jr., Cartersville HS) — A starting guard, Wilkins and Co. paved the way for the Eagles to post 321 offensive yards in their NAIA quarterfinal defeat.

SOFTBALL

Bella Carnes (Georgia College Fr., Woodland HS) — Carnes scored a run as a pinch runner in the second game win of Sunday’s home doubleheader with USC-Aiken. The Bobcats split the two games and moved to 10-24 for the year and 4-14 in the Peach Belt Conference. Georgia College, which will not qualify for the conference tournament this year, will travel to take on Flagler College in a season-ending doubleheader Saturday in St. Augustine, Florida.

Presly Edwards (Wesleyan Fr., Cartersville HS) — Edwards made a pinch-hitting appearance but did not reach base in a 1-0 home loss Friday versus Piedmont. Wesleyan finished the season with a 14-16 record overall and 8-6 mark in the USA South Athletic Conference.

Sarah Fox (Agnes Scott Jr., Cass HS) — Fox did not have a hit, but she drew a walk, had one RBI and stole a base in a home 6-5 win Wednesday over Brevard College. Fox then went 0-for-2 in Sunday’s season-ending loss at conference-leading Piedmont. Agnes Scott finished the season with a 5-11 record.

Brianna Hill (Covenant Fr., Woodland HS) — Hill went 2-for-2 in an 8-0 loss Monday at Wesleyan College. The Scots (16-18, 5-7) were slated to host LaGrange in a doubleheader Tuesday.

Hannah Todd (Kansas Sr., Cartersville HS) — Todd entered in relief and retired the final five outs for the Jayhawks in a 10-1 loss Saturday at Texas. Todd gave up a hit and one unearned run but allowed both inherited runners to score. She recorded one strikeout, facing eight batters. Kansas won a midweek game with Wichita State but were swept over the weekend by the Longhorns. The Jayhawks (22-20, 2-10 Big 12 Conference) have a three-game series Friday through Sunday at Baylor.

TENNIS

Houston Medlock (Piedmont Jr., Adairsville HS) — Piedmont’s season came to a close with a 5-4 loss in the USA South West Division championship Friday at Covenant. Medlock dropped his Line 1 singles match with a pair of 6-3 losses. He and his Line 2 doubles partner fell 8-3.

Bryce VanOrder (Piedmont Fr., Woodland HS) — VanOrder came up short in a 6-3, 6-2 decision on Line 2 singles in Piedmont’s season-ending defeat.

TRACK AND FIELD

Parker Breedlove (Reinhardt So., Cartersville HS) — Competing in the 5000-meter race, Breedlove placed 16th during the Appalachian Athletic Conference outdoor championship last week at Columbia International.

VOLLEYBALL

Nedu Evans (Augusta So., Cartersville HS) — Evans helped Augusta claim its third consecutive Peach Belt Conference tournament title. She produced eight kills, four block assists and three digs in a 3-1 victory over USC-Aiken in the semifinals. Evans followed that up with 11 kills during a 3-2 triumph against Flagler in the championship match.

— Nicholas Sullivan of The Daily Tribune News contributed to this report.