REGIONAL BRIEFS: C.J. Lee Promoted To Myrtle Beach

Former Virginia High and East Tennessee State University baseball standout C.J. Lee has been promoted to the High-Class A Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Pelicans in the Atlanta Braves’ minor league system.

Lee was hitting .234 with two home runs and 25 RBIs for Low-Class A Rome (Ga.), before gaining his promotion. He had stolen 10 bases and scored 34 runs in 90 games for Rome.

Lee started in center field on Saturday in Myrtle Beach’s 10-4 loss to Winston-Salem. He was 1-for-4 in his debut with the Pelicans, connecting for a single to right in the seventh inning.

Lee is the fourth outfielder on Myrtle Beach’s roster, joining Gorkys Hernandez, Jon Owings and Concepcion Rodriguez. The Pelicans won the Carolina League’s first-half Southern Division title and are 39-
23 and hold the division lead in the second half.

The 24-year-old Lee is in his second season as a professional after getting drafted in the 20th round by the Braves in the 2007 MLB Amateur Draft. He hit .245 with three homers and 23 RBIs last summer for the Danville Braves of the Appalachian League.

Kendall honored
Bristol White Sox outfielder Jordan Kendall earned a spot on the All-Appalachian League team, as voted on by media members and officials of the rookie league.

In 45 games with the BriSox, Kendall is hitting .331 with three home runs and 25 RBIs. He’s also stolen 20 bases and scored 35 runs in his first professional season.

He was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 11th round of the 2007 MLB Amateur Draft, but did not place last summer due to a hand injury.

Kendall was the only Bristol player elected to the team.

The Elizabethton Twins, who clinched the Appy League’s West Division title on Friday, had five players selected to the team. Left-hander Dan Osterbrock was named pitcher of the year and through Saturday, was 7-2 with a 3.08 ERA in 12 starts.

Johnson City’s Curt Smith was named player of the year. The first baseman hit .378 with eight homers and 49 RBIs for the Cardinals, before being promoted to Quad Cities.

Rob Mummau of Pulaski earned manager of the year accolades after leading Pulaski to the Appy League’s East Division crown.

BriSox lose
Bluefield Orioles pitcher Kenny Moreland silenced the hot bats of the Bristol White Sox.

Moreland combined with reliever Jose Barajas on a two-hit shutout as Bluefield ended Bristol’s four-game winning streak with a 2-0 Appalachian League victory on Saturday night at Bowen Field.

Bristol had averaged 9.8 runs per game during its winning streak, but the offense mustered just two singles.

Moreland (6-4, 2.93 ERA) struck out six and did not allow a run or walk during his seven inning stint. John Kateon’s single in the fourth and Brandon Short’s hit in the fifth accounted for Bristol’s lone baserunners.

Jose Barajas was perfect over the last two innings en route to notching his seventh save.

Garrett Johnson (4-4, 4.13 ERA) suffered the loss for the Sox, yielding two runs on four hits in five innings. The 6-foot-10 left-hander struck out six and walked two.
Ronnie Welty’s home run and a balk by Johnson provided Bluefield with all the offense it needed in a game that lasted just 1 hour and 53 minutes.

PREP FOOTBALL
J.J. Kelly 44, Twin Springs 8
In a game played Friday night, J.J. Kelly opened the season by earning an easy non-district win over Twin Springs.

Devan Sproles rushed for 200 yards on 15 carries and scored three touchdowns to lead Kelly (1-0), while quarterback Matt Dotson completed 8-of-11 passes for 169 yards and threw touchdown passes to Matt Justice and Garth Nicely.

Kelly jumped out to a 29-0 lead and was never threatened in spoiling Mike Castle’s debut as Twin Springs’ head coach.

Kris Jordan caught an 86-yard TD pass from Michael Salyer in the second quarter to avoid the shutout for the Titans, a member of the Cumberland District.

Friday was rough for the Cumberland District, which went just 1-6 in season-openers. Castlewood’s 27-14 win over Appalachia was the only victory for the league.

Christiansburg 34, Graham 29
A fourth quarter rally fell short as Graham lost to Christiansburg in a game played Friday night in the New River Valley.

Graham scored 19 points in the final quarter, but it wasn’t enough to erase the Blue Demons’ lead. Dominique Lane rushed for 162 yards to lead Graham (0-1), while David Marris threw for 122 yards.

Christiansburg (1-0) had three running backs surpass the 100-yard mark, led by Keith Johnson’s 202 yards.

WOMEN’S SOCCER
Milligan 4, West Virginia Tech 0
Nine Henriksson scored three goals as Milligan College earned a shutout of West Virginia Tech. Samantha McClay scored the other goal for the Buffaloes.

MEN’S SOCCER
Milligan 3, West Virginia Tech 0
Senior forward Josh Stephens scored two goals as Milligan blanked West Virginia Tech.