Athletes Beyond Bartow update for week ending April 23
Ball State tennis sophomore, Peyton Gollhofer, helped lead the Lady Cards to the MAC regular season title last week to highlight this week’s Athletes Beyond Bartow update.
In professional baseball, Connor Justus had four hits and scored three runs in six games with the Class-A Advanced Inland Empire. The 66ers shortstop has started slowly at the plate this season, but has raised his batting average 60 points over the past ten games. Inland Empire is currently 7-11 and in second place in the California League’s South Division.
Sam Howard was re-assigned to the Double-A Hartford Yard Goats after one start with the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes. Howard pitched four shutout innings in his start Saturday with Hartford. He allowed two hits, a walk, and struck out three. Hartford is 7-10 to begin the 2017 season and currently 3 games back in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League.
BASEBALL
BRANDON ETHERIDGE — Limestone College (Junior, OF, Cass HS). . . went 2-for-9 at the plate with a pair of walks and one hit by pitch in a three-game series with top-ranked Mount Olive. The Saints were swept in that series by the conference regular season champs. The Saints (22-25, 10-17) did not qualify for the Conference Carolinas championship tournament, thus ending their season. Etheridge hit .281 for the season with 14 RBIs and 24 runs scored. He also pitched 7 innings in three games with a 1-0 record and a 5.14 ERA.
CARRINGTON EVANS — Augusta University (Freshman, OF, Cartersville HS). . . was 7-for-19 with a walk, a double, a triple, two runs scored and a pair of RBIs in four games last week. Augusta won at Valdosta State and won two of three with Lander. Evans has a .313 batting average with two homers and 13 RBIs. Augusta (19-24, 10-14) failed to qualify for the post season Peach Belt Conference tournament, but will host Claflin Wednesday and play non-conference games at Columbus State Friday and Saturday.
MICHAEL GOSS — UNC-Greensboro (Senior, 1B, Cartersville HS). . . was 5-for-16 with four RBIS and a run scored as the Spartans lost to High Point mid-week but took two out of three at Ohio State last weekend. Goss carries a .350 batting average with four homers and 34 RBIs. UNCG (24-15, 8-4) has a three-game Southern Conference series at Mercer Friday through Sunday.
BRADLEY HOOD — Georgia Highlands College (Sophomore, RHP, Cass HS). . . tossed a pair of spotless innings last week as the Chargers split four games with Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. Hood has now pitched 11 innings on the year, allowing just two runs, one earned, on five hits and two walks with 12 strikeouts. GHC (32-16, 9-7) has a four-game series this week with Gordon State College.
SEAN McDERMOTT — Cleveland State CC (Sophomore, 1B, Adairsville HS). . . was 1-for-9 in three games with a walk and one RBI last week as the Cougars lost three of four games to West Georgia Tech and Dyersburg State CC. McDermott, a Mercer University commit for 2018, has a .375 batting average with eight home runs and 35 RBIs this season. CSCC (30-16, 12-12) closes out the regular season this Friday and Saturday at home against Jackson State CC.
JO JO UNDERWOOD — UNC-Greensboro (Senior, C/INF, Cartersville HS). . . Underwood earned a start after going 1-for-1 in a pinch-hitting appearance against Ohio State. He took advantage of the start by going 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored. Underwood has a .250 batting average with two homers and six RBIs in 36 at bats this season. UNCG (24-15, 8-4) has a three-game Southern Conference series at Mercer Friday through Sunday.
TYLER WASHINGTON — Young Harris College (Junior, OF, Adairsville HS). . . the Mountain Lions wrapped up their season last week with five games, failing to qualify for the Peach Belt Conference tournament. Washington was appeared in two of the five games and was 1-for-8 with a walk and a stolen base. He completed his junior season with a .300 batting average, two homers, and 24 RBIs.
CHAZ WILSON — Columbus State University (Senior, RHP, Cass HS). . . tossed a scoreless eighth inning last Wednesday at West Florida in the Cougars’ only loss of a five-game week. Wilson allowed a walk, but faced the minimum with an induced ground ball double play. Wilson has a 1.93 ERA in six relief appearances.
SOFTBALL
KENNEDY BAILEY — Union College (KY) (Freshman, C, Cartersville HS). . .went 3-for-7 with a home run, a double, three RBIs and a run scored last Thursday in a doubleheader sweep of University of Pikeville. Bailey has a .238 batting average with a pair of homeruns and 11 RBIs. The Lady Bulldogs (27-26) enter the Appalachian Athletic Conference tournament Wednesday as the No. 3 seed.
TAYLOR BRASELTON — Reinhardt University (Senior, SS, Woodland HS). . . was 6-for-7 with a walk, a double, a run scored and three RBIs in a doubleheader split last week at Tennessee Wesleyan College. Reinhardt (37-14-1, 15-5) opens play at the Appalachian Athletic Conference tournament in Kingsport, TN Wednesday as the No. 1 seed.
SYDNEY FLOWERS — Reinhardt University (Senior, OF, Woodland HS). . . saw action as a pinch hitter in both games of a doubleheader last Wednesday at Tennessee Wesleyan College. She scored one run. Reinhardt (37-14-1, 15-5) opens play at the Appalachian Athletic Conference tournament in Kingsport, TN Wednesday as the No. 1 seed.
CASSIDY HOWREN — Reinhardt University (Junior, C, Adairsville HS). . . went 2-for-6 and scored a run in a doubleheader last week at Tennessee Wesleyan College. Reinhardt (37-14-1, 15-5) opens play at the Appalachian Athletic Conference tournament in Kingsport, TN Wednesday as the No. 1 seed.
SYDNEY HODORFF — LaGrange College (Sophomore, C, Woodland HS). . . completed her sophomore season by going 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs, and stole a base in a 4-3 win over Wesleyan. Hodorff batted .234 with one home run, nine runs, and six RBIs. LaGrange finished the season 12-21 overall and 10-12 in the USA South Athletic Conference.
TAYLOR WEEKS — Reinhardt University (Senior, OF, Adairsville HS). . . was 1-for-3 in Reinhardt’s doubleheader split at Tennessee Wesleyan College. Weeks walked three times and scored two runs. Reinhardt (37-14-1, 15-5) opens play at the Appalachian Athletic Conference tournament in Kingsport, TN Wednesday as the No. 1 seed.
LAUREN WOMACK — Georgia Highlands College (Sophomore, SS, Cass HS). . . Womack was 6-for-11 as the Chargers won all four games last week to earn a No. 3 seed in the GCAA tournament beginning this Thursday. Womack added a pair of walks, five RBIs, two runs scored, and a stolen base. She carries a .320 batting average for the season with 20 RBIs. GHC (40-12, 19-9) opens the tournament Thursday at 1pm against Gordon State. The winner plays host Georgia Military at 5pm Thursday. The tournament continues through Saturday.
TENNIS
PEYTON GOLLHOFER — Ball State University (Sophomore, Laurel Springs Academy, Cartersville native). . . he Lady Cards won the Mid-American Conference championship last Friday with a 4-3 win over Akron. Gollhofer won her Line 2 singles match in three-sets to secure the victory. She also teamed with Carmen Blanco to win 6-3 at Line 2 doubles. Ball State (20-2, 8-0 MAC) will be the No. 1 seed at the conference championship tournament that begins Friday.
TRACK & FIELD
SPENCER FIELDS — Rhodes College (Sophomore, Darlington HS, Kingston native). . . placed second in the 5000M (15:25) and fifth in the 1500M run as the Lynx placed second at the Southern Athletic Association Championships last weekend. Next for Rhodes is the Memphis Invitational this Friday and Saturday.
ANNA HIGHTOWER — Georgia Tech (Sophomore, Cartersville HS). . . placed fourth in the pole vault this past weekend during the Yellow Jacket Invitational at Georgia Tech. Hightower cleared 3.74 meters. The next event for the Jackets is the Penn Relays in Philadelphia Thursday through Saturday.
