Staff report

Central and Deshler collected TimesDaily Classic baseball tournament victories Friday.

Central downed Sheffield 7-2, while Deshler beat Russellville 10-5.

Play continues with three games at Deshler beginning at 9 a.m. and three games at Florence starting at 11 a.m.

Muscle Shoals and Sheffield also are hosting games.

Central 7, Sheffield 2: Nic Murphy had three hits and an RBI to lead Central to a win.

The Wildcats (3-0) scored three in the second and added three in the third to take control. Murphy Harrison had two hits, two stolen bases and an RBI.

Jacob Gean got the win, allowing one earned run and two hits while striking out six in four innings.

Brett Baker had an RBI double for Sheffield.

Central (3-0) plays Mars Hill at Northwest-Shoals at 11 a.m. and Hatton at Sheffield at 3 p.m. today.

Deshler 10, Russellville 5: Brandt Holland went 3 for 3 to lead Deshler to a victory over Russellville.

Justin Cantrell added two hits, including a double, and scored three runs for the Tigers, while J.T. Skipworth drove in three runs.

Luke Harris and Austin Kitterman led Russellville with two hits each.

J.T. Thompson pitched four innings, allowing four hits and striking out six to earn the win.

Deshler (4-1) will host Lauderdale County today at 9 a.m. and Shoals Christian at 1 p.m.

Softball

Central plays 2 at Hazel Green Classic: Central tied Athens, 2-2, in a game stopped by time limit before dropping 3-0 decision against Grissom to open its season at the Hazel Green Classic.

Haley Liles struck out two and allowed no hits in the opener for Central (0-1-1).

Kate Lambert doubled and Bailey Nelson added a hit for the Wildcats, who scored both runs in the first inning.

Athens scored on an error in the first and a fielder’s choice in the third.

Lambert also doubled against Grissom, while Nelson and Abby Keener added a hit each.

Tharptown splits at Sheffield tournament: Tharptown opened its season, losing 2-0 to Decatur before beating tournament host Sheffield.

Shelby Palmer led the way in both games, with three hits and solo homer against Decatur and striking out nine and allowing two hits against Sheffield.

Haley Malone doubled against Decatur and had two hits with a two-run homer against Sheffield.

Savannah Hamilton went 3 for 3 with three doubles and two RBIs against Sheffield. Autumn Sutter also went 3-for-3 and Kassy Baker added three hits for Tharptown (1-1).

Muscle Shoals 2, Ardmore 0: Bailey Mellott pitched a two-hitter as Muscle Shoals blanked Ardmore in five innings at the Sheffield Classic.

Mellott recorded four strikeouts in earning the win in the season opener for both teams.

Muscle Shoals scored both of its runs in the third inning. Mellott had a double and later scored on a throwing error. Madison Tidwell added a run-scoring single for the Trojans.

Basketball

Tennessee Class 1A, Region 6 Tournament

Wayne County 60, Richland 56: Sam Skelton scored five straight points midway through the fourth quarter to give Wayne County a lead it would not relinquish in a 60-56 victory over Richland in the girls Class 1A, Region 6 Tournament.

Skelton led Wayne County with 13 points, but saved her best for the fourth quarter. Cassie Mathis also was big for the Mustangs, scoring 11 points, including three 3-pointers. Morgan Anne Mathis chipped in 10 points for the Wildcats (11-19).

Wayne County trailed 29-27 at halftime, but came back to take a 39-38 lead after three quarters.

UNA Softball

Lions drop two: Southwest Baptist and Wisconsin-Parkside each used a late-inning rally to hand UNA its first two losses at the UNA Invitational at the Florence SportsPlex.

In the opener, Southwest Baptist got a three-run home run in the top of the sixth inning to win 3-1. The home run by Tori Lamkins spoiled a career-high 14-strikeout performance by UNA’s Breanna Riley (5-1).

UNA got its run in the bottom of the first on a leadoff home run by freshman Harlie Barkley. Nikki Hodges led UNA with two hits.

The second game featured an almost identical script. Barkley gave the Lions a 1-0 lead with her second leadoff home run in the first inning, and the Lions led 2-1 heading into the final frame. Wisconsin-Parkside used a four-run seventh inning to rally for the win.

Haley Barnette (5-1) took the loss after working 6 1/3 innings with seven hits and seven strikeouts. Summer Wilkerson was 2-for-3.

The Lions will face Drury Saturday at 3 p.m. followed by a 5 p.m. showdown against No. 7 Indianapolis.