Friday's Central Georgia Daily News 'n Notes: Mayhem at home, Braves win, area/state college sports, plenty of signings, honor roll
Friday's Central Georgia - and of interest to Central Georgia - news and notes, compiled from staff reports, email reports, the web, and social media.
Mayhem try to even SPHL series at home
The defending SPHL champs will be on the home ice down 1-0 in its playoff series with Evansville.
Macon and Evansville drop the puck at 7:35 p.m. If the Mayhem win, the rubber game is at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Evansville went 2-2 at Macon during the regular season, the latest a 3-2 OT win on April 7.
The Mayhem will auction off jerseys after the game with proceeds going to the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team. The Mayhem have worn the jerseys throughout the season. Fans can also donate to the cause through the Macon front office.
A bus carrying the junior hockey team crashed on April 6, killing 16 - including 10 players, ages 16-20 - and injuring 13.
Braves get big day from Albies to skunk Cubs
Ozzie Albies was dazzling on defense and Atlanta got quality pitching in beating the Cubs 4-0 at Wrigley.
Preston Tucker's 3-run home was all the Braves needed behind Anibal Sanchez.
College Baseball: Mercer gets popped in series opener at Samford
Samford pitching turned in a dominant performance, stunning Mercer with a 2-hit shutout in a 7-0 home win.
It was Mercer's second straight series-opening loss, and the Bears first shutout since a 1-0 loss to UNCG in May of 2016.
College Baseball: Georgia College comes back to top Flagler
The Bobcats had to come back twice, Brandon Purcell's 3-run homer putting them over the top for an 8-7 win over Flagler.
Georgia College improved to 20-2 in conference play, 28-2 overall, while Flagler fell to 28-13 and 15-7.
College Baseball: Georgia blows late lead, loses in extras
Georgia took a 4-1 lead into the ninth inning, but went back to the dorm rooms with a 6-4 loss in 11 innings.
Former third baseman Aaron Schunk, UGA's closer, got tagged with giving up the ninth-inning runs, and former Houston County standout Tony Locey suffered his first loss of the season.
College Baseball: Georgia Tech gets slam from McCann to pop Pitt
Kyle McCann's 10th homer of the year was a memorable one, giving Georgia Tech a 7-3 comeback win at Pittsburgh.
The teams will go Saturday at 3, Tech having won four of its last five games.
College Golf: Georgia College in middle of pack at PBC tournament
Georgia College is in sixth place after the first day of the Peach Belt Conference golf tournament in St. Augustine, Florida.
Justin Connelly shot a 2-under for the Bobcats, who were 12 over, and 16 back of USC Aiken.
Daily Scoreboard is posted and updated
This Week's Signings
A collection of Central girls basketball players signed Friday: Jada Clowers with St. Petersburg (junior) College, JeNya Wilder and Tyleia Williams with Snead State (Ala.) Junior College, Kayia Greene with Southern Crescent Tech, and NeeNee Goolsby with Benedict in the SIAC.
Dooly County's Jarquavius Brown signed with Columbia State (Tenn.) CC on Friday. ...
FPD’s Maurice Gordon, who scored 875 points and had 498 rebounds, signed with Gulf Coast state on Friday. ...
The same week he earned All-America honors (see below), Central Georgia Tech's Mike Laster signed with Bowling Green, an NCAA Division I team in the Mid-American Conference that finished 16-16 last season. ...
Bleckley County is sending two softball players to the next level. Aliyah Whitehead has signed with Albany State, and Jordan Williams with Jordan Williams.
A pair of Houston County golfers signed on Wednesday, Hilton Beck with Georgia College and Brent Hamm with Troy. ...
Tattnall girls basketball standout I'Uana Slaughter has signed with Southern Crescent Tech. She helped the Trojans to 83 games in four years, averaging 11.2 points as a senior. ...
Houston County girls soccer player Marissa Molnar has signed to continue her career not far from home, at Wesleyan.
This Week's Honor Roll
Central Georgia Tech's Fredricka Sheats earned honorable mention All-American honors by the National Junior College Athletic Association, after averaging 15.2 points and 7.6 rebounds. She is a freshman from Athens. ...
Central Georgia Tech men's basketball player Mike Laster was named to the NJCAA All-America second team. The freshman from New York averaged 14.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.3 assists in helping the Titans reach the national tournament. ...
Outfielder Sarah Couch of Georgia College is the Peach Belt Conference freshman of the week.
Couch hit .500 in four conference games last week with a double and five RBIs. ...
Junior MJ Rookard of Middle Georgia State is the Southern States Athletic Conference player of the week, for the second time this season.
He helped the No. 17 Knights to a 3-1 week, hitting .500 with a .714 slugging percentage and 4 RBI. Rookard is batting .379 with 5 homers and 26 RBI.
This Week's Poll Watch
Georgia College's women's tennis team is 24th, up seven spots, in the latest ITA poll, while the men moved up two spots to No. 23. ...
Georgia College stayed at 13th in the latest Collegiate Baseball Division II poll, five spots behind Columbus State. The Bobcats moved up to No. 10 in the college baseball writers polls, and to No. 4 in Perfect Game. ...
Georgia is No. 18 in the latest D1Baseball.com and USA Today/Coaches poll, 21st in Baseball America, and 25th in Perfect Game. The Bulldogs fell out of the Collegiate Baseball poll.