South Carolina softball alumni are getting together in support of wounded members of the military with a pair of events this week in Lexington and West Columbia, South Carolina. The Louisville Slugger Warriors, which is a highly decorated national slow pitch softball tournament team consisting of U.S. military veterans and active duty personnel who have suffered service related wounds, travel all around the country to raise awareness for disabled servicemen and women. Gamecock softball alumna Kate (Pouliot) Abney and Fun4All helped bring such a team to the area for the second straight year.When I first learned about these guys, it was a no-brainer for me, said Abney who serves as the Director of Softball Operations for the team and is also an occupational therapist at Lexington Medical Center Extended Care. This combines two of my greatest passions in life: softball and rehabilitation in coming back from something that can be devastating, and deciding to overcome that. To push through the rehabilitation process, overcome obstacles and begin to live life to the fullest is what occupational therapy is all about.The first event will have the Louisville Slugger Warriors take on a team from Joint Base Charleston at the Lexington County Baseball Stadium beginning at 7 p.m. on Friday, October 14. Admission is $2, and donations will be accepted at the gate.These are young men who are very competitive in nature, and I can relate to that as an athlete, Abney said. I can also relate to them in a special way with the relationship I have in medicine and therapy. Im learning a lot from them. I have so much fun with them, too.On Saturday, October 15, the Louisville Slugger Warriors and more than two dozen South Carolina softball alumni will be on hand as part of a fast pitch tournament called USSSA Louisville Slugger Operation Thank You, which will be played at Pine Grove Sports Complex in West Columbia.They will be playing a round robin tournament mixed in with South Carolina softball alumni, Abney said. We already have around 25 Gamecock softball alumni coming in to play from all around the country. We are creating four teams where the Louisville Slugger Warriors will be playing alongside alumni from the past several decades.The Lexington County Recreation and Aging Commission is a generous sponsor of the event by hosting both fields for the tournament, which features youth club teams for 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U, and 18U. The gate fee for entry to the tournament is $6 for adults, $4 for youths, while children under 12 get in free. Funds and donations raised at the events help the team to continue its travel across the country and compete in the tournaments, while raising awareness of the needs of disabled veterans. After a successful event last year in Columbia, the goal is to raise $30,000 at this years event in the Midlands.We go around the country and play in tournaments against able-bodied teams, Abney said. The team does really well. Theyre hungry for high level competition. It also raises awareness. These guys are coming back home injured, but that doesnt mean that they still cant be incredible athletes and that they are very capable of pursuing their passions.The goal is to continue to build on their rehabilitation process that theyve gone through since their injuries. We have eight amputees on the team, and several of the other guys have some of the invisible wounds that you are hearing a lot more about these days, such as traumatic brain injury, PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and things like that. This really gives them a sense of comradery again and helps them get out to further their physical and mental rehabilitation.Donations can be made at either of the events or if you would like more information on how you can make a donation to the cause, contact Kate Abney via email at kate.pouliot@yahoo.com. Cheap Houston Texans Jerseys . The Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Rays, and Texas Rangers all won on Sunday meaning the Rangers will host the Rays in a play-in game on Monday. Cheap Texans Jerseys China . It was hard for Luck to pull off another comeback, or even get into the end zone, while standing on the sideline. Rivers threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to rookie Keenan Allen and Nick Novak kicked four field goals to give the Chargers a 19-9 victory against the Colts on Monday night. http://www.cheaptexansjerseyselite.com/ .Y. -- Syracuse has turned up the defence at the right time all season, and when High Point threatened to pull off a monumental upset the second-ranked Orange did what they do best with their quick hands and savvy play. Wholesale Texans Jerseys . The winner Saturday will remain in the elite 10-team field next year. "We talked about wanting to be disciplined and stick with our game plan and good things will come," Draisaitl said, who had two goals for the victors. Cheap Texans Jerseys . The 20-year-old Pelicans big man glanced up and smiled widely at the well-wishers -- a fitting end to a day he wont soon forget. Davis responded to his selection earlier in the day as a Western Conference All-Star with 26 points and 10 rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves 98-91 on Friday night. COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Kaela Davis stepped up to the challenge, as did No. 6 South Carolina in putting away any lingering concerns about its loss last time out.Davis, who started the previous seven games, had six 3-pointers coming off the bench and scored 22 points as the Gamecocks routed Minnesota 98-58 Sunday.South Carolina coach Dawn Staley was concerned about her teams lack of defense in a 74-63 loss at Duke last week and spent practices stressing technique, so much so that she swapped out starters Davis and Bianca Cuevas-Moore for Doniyah Cliney and Tyasha Harris.So when Davis finally got in, she made it count with her second-best scoring performance this season.Obviously, Coach made a decision and whenever that decision is made, its our job to respond, Davis said. Thats what I had to do and that was my purpose.Overall, the Gamecocks (7-1) tightened things up by holding Minnesota (7-4) to under 30 percent shooting.Leading scorer Carlie Wagner, averaging 20 points a game coming in, was just 1-of-12 shooting for a season-low six points.They did a good job of crowding her and not giving her a lot of open looks, Golden Gophers coach Marlene Stollings said.Exactly what Staley had hoped for. She didnt count on the 16 3-pointers -- a high for Staleys nine seasons -- which was one off the program record set against Western Carolina in 1994.Davis, a Georgia Tech transfer, was in the middle of that, too. She hit five of her first six shots from behind the arc as the Gamecocks built a 57-27 halftime lead.Kenisha Bell led Minnesota with 16 points.Alaina Coates had 16 points and 11 rebounds, her fifth double-double of the season and 47th of her career. She also had four of South Carolinas nine blocks.Gray made four 3s annd added a team-high seven assists.ddddddddddddhe Gamecocks used a 15-0 start and an 18-0 run in the second quarter to put it away.BIG PICTUREMinnesota: The Golden Gophers won 20 or more games the past three seasons and won 11 Big Ten Conference games the last two years under Stollings. But those teams featured conference players of the year in Amanda Zahui B. (2015) and Rachel Banham. Minnesota hasnt yet developed the inside game to go along with Wagners scoring and will have to do it with quick -- it starts league play at Ohio State on Dec. 28.South Carolina: Cuevas-Moore played turnover-free as the Gamecocks built a big lead while holding Minnesota to 25 percent (7 of 28) shooting the first two quarters.LETTING IT FLYStaley preaches going inside with 6-foot-5 Aja Wilson and 6-4 Coates underneath. But shes OK with her players taking and making open shots as they did against Minnesota.Were in a groove, were going to take them, she said. Ive never put handcuffs on any of our players as far as shooting the basketball.COLD LIKE MINNESOTAThe Golden Gophers were held to their second-worst shooting performance of the season, making just 18 of 63 shots (28.6 percent). The only poorer showing came in a 70-58 loss to Georgia last month when they shot 27.1 percent. Stollings said her team, which includes nine newcomers, was a bit overwhelmed facing the talented Gamecocks. Stollings said the team will quickly move past this and improve.UP NEXTMinnesota: Home for two games and plays Belmont on Wednesday night.South Carolina: Faces rival Clemson, a surprise undefeated team, on Thursday night. ' ' '