Middle School Softball: Ringgold has to settle for NGAC runner-up finish
The top-seeded team going into the North Georgia Athletic Conference tournament proved to be the best team when it ended as the Trion Lady Bulldogs took down second-seeded Ringgold in the finals late last week to secure the championship.
Saddle Ridge, which played its way into the sixteam tournament field with a win over Lakeview last Monday, saw its record-setting season come to an end with a 6-2 loss at Dade in the first round. Olivia Free paced the offense with two hits, including a double, and a pair of RBIS. Olivia Acuff, Alivia Hughes and Haynie Gilstrap each had a hit for the Lady Mustangs, while Lexi Baker struck out three batters in the circle.
The Lady Mustangs set a new single-season program record for wins in 2018.
The other first-round game saw Heritage break a 3-3 tie with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth and the Lady Generals added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth as they defeated Gordon Lee, 6-3, in Boynton last Tuesday. Avah Morrison got the win for Heritage, surrendered three earned runs on four hits and three walks in seven innings, while finishing with six strikeouts. Sydney Garrett took the loss for the Lady Trojans. She gave up four earned runs on seven hits and two walks in six innings of work. She also finished with six strikeouts.
Lexi Duckett had two hits, including a double, for the Generals. Harper Carstens had a triple and knocked in a run, while Savannah Wilson, Alexis Faulkenberry and Addie Edwards all had one RBI in the victory.
Garrett, along with Emma Phillips, Courtney Hollis and Ryleigh Ledford, had one hit each for Gordon Lee. Ledford also picked up two RBIS on a two-out single in the first inning.
While Trion defeated Dade in its semifinal game, Ringgold got through to the finals with a 4-3 win over Heritage at Ringgold.
The Lady Tigers rallied from a 3-2 deficit with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth. Maddy Bacon drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in the tying run before Zoey Defoor drove in the go-ahead run with an Rbi-single.
Defoor and Riley Heard each finished with two hits and one RBI. Emily Love also had two hits in the victory, while Bacon allowed two earned runs on six hits and five walks in seven innings. She finished the day with two strikeouts.
Heritage had six hits, all singles. Abbie Young had two sacrifices to go with her hit, while Savannah Wilson was credited with the only RBI of the game for the Generals. Morrison gave up just two earned runs in six innings. She allowed nine hits and finished with four strikeouts.
Ringgold played host to Trion in Game 1 of the best-of-three series on Thursday and jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on a two-run double in the bottom of the first inning by Maddy Lee.
But in the fourth, Trion exploded for eight runs to seize control and tacked on four runs in the top of the seventh to salt it away.
Riley Burdette had the only other hit for Ringgold. Bacon took the loss as she gave up seven earned runs in four innings in the circle. Aubrey Lakin also allowed four earned runs in 2.2 innings of relief. The two Ringgold pitchers combined to give up seven walks.
Game 2 was played Friday afternoon in Trion and a grand slam homerun by Aubrey Burke in the bottom of the third inning erased a 2-0 deficit and gave the Lady Bulldogs a lead they would not relinquish as they beat Ringgold, 7-2, to sweep the championship series.
Trion would add three more runs in the fifth to pull away. Bacon and Lakin had the only RBIS for Ringgold, while Defoor had two of Ringgold’s four hits. Bre Freeman had a double in the loss. Bacon threw 4.2 innings, giving up seven earned runs on six hits. Lakin allowed one hit in 1.1 relief innings in the circle.
The Lady Tigers finished the year with an 18-4 overall record.