Ringgold rallies to win back-to-back state softball championships
They began the state playoffs as a No. 4 seed and ended the state playoffs as champions...again.
For the second straight year, the Ringgold Lady Tigers scaled the Class AAA mountain as they claimed another fastpitch state championship with an incredible post-season run, capped by a thrilling final day of the season.
“We knew there was more in our tank than maybe we had shown during our region games,” head coach Daniel Hackett said. “Once we hit playoff time, though, we flipped the switch. They always knew they belonged, but they found a way to flip that switch.”
After dramatically winning six consecutive games in last year’s state tournament to earn a championship, Ringgold thrilled its fans with not just one, but two late-game comebacks on Saturday to win its second straight state title and the third fastpitch
state title in the program’s rich history.
After effectively using the long ball in a victory over Pike County Friday afternoon, the
Lady Tigers were edged out by Region 6 rival Rockmart late Friday night and dropped to the elimination bracket in the state tournament in Columbus.
Ringgold 12, Pike County 0
The Lady Tigers opened
play in Columbus on Friday and got a two-run, inside-thepark homerun by Taylor Layne to take an early 2-0 lead. Riley Nayadley would lead off the third inning with a solo homer to left. Jade Gainer would score on a Pike County error later in the inning and an Rbi-groundout by Autumn Green would later increase the lead to 5-0.
Amber Gainer belted a tworun homer in the fourth to add to the lead before the Lady Tigers erupted for five runs in the top of the fifth. Addi Broome scored on a wild pitch with the bases loaded for the first run and, following a walk, Nayadley blasted a grand slam on the first pitch she saw to clear the bases and cap the scoring.
Nayadley finished 2 for 4 with five RBIS and a pair of runs scored. Jade Gainer, Caroline Hemphill and Layne each had two hits, while Layne and Amber Gainer knocked in two runs apiece.
Alyissa Sue pitched the first four innings to get the victory. She gave up just two hits and one walk and finished with two strikeouts. Maddy Bacon allowed one hit and one walk
in one inning of relief.
Rockmart 7, Ringgold 6
In Friday’s nightcap, the Lady Tigers trailed 5-2 after four innings, but scored three runs in the top of the fifth to tie the game. Jade Gainer would come through with the tying single and her twin sister would lead off the seventh with a solo shot to put Ringgold in front, 6-5.
But the Lady Jackets would get a double by Gracey Arnold and a one-out single by Emilee Register to tie the game in the bottom of the inning, sending it to extras.
Rockmart turned a double play in the top of the eighth, which was answered by Ringgold turning one in the bottom half of the inning. However, Arnold delivered a two-out single for the game-winner, putting Rockmart into the title game.
Broome and Amber Gainer had two hits each, while six other Lady Tigers had one hit, including solo homers by Layne and Baileigh Pitts. Amber Gainer had two RBIS, while Nayadley and Jade Gainer had one RBI each.
Layne pitched the first six innings, giving up four runs on four hits. She walked six and struck out one. Sue pitched the final 1.2 innings in relief and was saddled with the loss. She allowed two walks and two hits, striking out one batter, while the run she allowed was earned.
Ringgold 16, Pike County 2
The Lady Tigers punched their ticket to the championship with a three-inning vic
tory in an elimination game on Saturday afternoon.
Ringgold led 3-2 when they exploded for 13 runs in the bottom of the third inning to end the game on the run rule.
Fifteen straight batters reached base in the inning, all with one out. Hemphill had an Rbi-double and an Rbi-single in the inning as she finished 3 for 3 with four RBIS and two runs scored. Nayadley had an Rbi-double as one of her two hits and Jade Gainer drove in two runs with a double in the frame.
Zoey Defoor had two hits and two RBIS. Amber Gainer had two hits and three RBIS. Green knocked in a pair of runs on one hit, while Pitts and Broome each picked up one RBI.
Bacon pitched a gem for the Lady Tigers, allowing just four runs with two strikeouts. Neither run she allowed was earned.
Ringgold 9, Rockmart 2
Facing their Region 6 rivals less than 24 hours after the heartbreaking loss late on Friday, the Lady Tigers trailed 2-0 going into the top of the fifth inning.
But Ringgold would sting the Lady Jackets with six runs in the top of the fifth. Nayadley would deliver a two-run single and Jade Gainer picked up an RBI on a bunt single. Then, following a sacrifice bunt by Layne, Hemphill absolutely mashed a three-run homer over the fence in left to put her team in front, 6-2.
The Lady Tigers made sure of the outcome with three more runs in the top of the seventh inning. Defoor had an Rbi-triple and scored on a groundout by Pitts. Two singles later, a Jade Gainer sacrifice fly would bring in the final run of the game.
Broome and Amber Gainer each had three hits, while Nayadley and Jade Gainer drove in two runs each. Nayadley joined
Defoor, Layne and Hemphill with two hits apiece.
Sue pitched all seven innings, giving up two earned runs on seven hits and four walks with three strikeouts.
Ringgold 7, Rockmart 6
Needing to defeat the Lady Jackets one more time to win the state title, Ringgold quickly found itself in a 3-0 hole after the first inning, while a threerun homer by Briley King in the top of the third put Rockmart up 6-0 as Lady Jackets threatened a run-rule victory.
Instead, the deficit merely set the stage for another incredible Ringgold comeback.
It began in the bottom of the third inning with a single and a walk before Pitts blasted a threerun homer to cut Rockmart’s lead in half. Two more singles would continue the inning before Jade Gainer’s groundout brought in Amber Gainer to make it 6-4.
In the bottom of the fifth, Layne reached base on an error and took second on a groundout by Hemphill before scoring on an RBI by Broome. Then, after loading the bases in the sixth, Jade Gainer picked up the game-tying RBI on a fielder’s choice.
Ringgold would get a two-out double by Pitts in the bottom of the seventh, but she was left stranded and the game went into the eighth inning all knotted up at 6-6.
Rockmart would go down 1-2-3 in the top of the eighth and Nayadley strode to the plate to lead off the bottom of the frame. She would smack a grounder to third, but an error allowed her to scamper all the way to second base, putting the championship run in scoring position. Nayadley would then head for third as Jade Gainer layed down a bunt.
But the Lady Jackets’ attempt
to throw out the speedy Gainer at first base sailed the wide of the bag and allowed Nayadley to come screaming home with the final run to complete the comeback and give her team back-to-back state championships.
“We had a good feeling the whole time,” Hackett said. “We just knew at some point (it would happen) because we had been hitting the ball (well) for four games over two days and we don’t slow down with the bats in a tournament. I think our bats only pick up and they just believed. They knew they could start hitting any minute.”
Pitts went 3 for 4 with three RBIS in the final game, while Jade Gainer knocked in three runs. Broome, Nayadley, Green and Amber Gainer each had two hits in the victory.
Sue began the game in the circle, but was pulled early and replaced by Layne, who pitched eight innings of relief. The junior allowed just three earned runs on five hits and three walks, finishing with one strikeout.
Hackett credited his three pitchers for keeping the team in games during the weekend.
“First, you can’t overlook what Maddy did (against Pike),” he began. “She really got us into the last two games so our No. 1 and No. 2 could go the distance in the second and third games. Alyissa battled all night, but even down 2-0, she was never fazed, and once Rockmart got those two runs, she was lights out from then on out.
“Right after that three-run homer (in the final game), Taylor found her groove and she just shut them down over the next five innings. We started throwing that drop ball and she was able to command it, the screwball and the curveball the rest of the game, almost to perfection. She really got their stud hitters out when she needed to towards the end
of the game.”
Ringgold 5, Pierce County 4
Ringgold earned its way to Columbus by taking two straight games from No. 1-ranked Pierce County in Blackshear last Tuesday.
In the opener, a two-run, second-inning single by Amber Gainer got things started and, one inning later, Jade Gainer ripped a double and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Hemphill before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Layne.
The Lady Bears rallied to take a 4-3 lead going into the seventh inning, but Amber Gainer led off with a double on the very first pitch she saw before scoring on an Rbi-single by Nayadley. Pierce would later turn a double play as they tried to get out of the jam, but with Jade Gainer at second and two outs, Layne came through with a clutch single to bring what turned out to be the game-winner.
Sue would finish off the complete-game victory by inducing a flyball to center to end the game and stranding two Pierce runners on base. She allowed just two earned runs on six hits and three walks over seven innings and finished with two strikeouts.
Layne had two hits in the game, including a double, while Nayadley, the Gainer twins and Green all had a pair of hits.
Ringgold 6, Pierce County 5
The Blue-and-white would lead 6-2 going into the top of the sixth, but had to hold on to secure the victory and the series.
Ringgold trailed 1-0 after the first inning, but got Rbi-singles by Green and Pitts to go in front, while RBIS by Pitts and Broome in the bottom of the fourth in
creased the Lady Tigers’ lead to 4-2. Green came through with a big two-out, two-run single in the fifth, but Pierce plated two runs in the top of the sixth and threatened to take the lead in the seventh.
They opened the final inning with a leadoff triple, followed by a run-scoring single, which cut the gap to one. After a sacrifice bunt and a walk put the tying run at second and the go-ahead run at first with just one out, Pierce sent a long fly ball to centerfield.
Amber Gainer would catch it for the second out as the runner tagged up, looking to tie up the game. Gainer rifled a throw to her sister at third, who in turn fired to the plate, where Pitts was waiting. She would apply the tag to complete the 8-5-2 double play and seal the series.
Nayadley had three hits, while Green capped a big series with two hits, two runs scored and three RBIS. Layne gutted out a complete-game victory. She gave up four earned runs on nine hits and a pair of walks and collected two strikeouts.
Ringgold ended the year with a 27-10 record, having won 15 of its last 17 games, with the only two losses in that span coming to Rockmart before avenging those losses on Saturday.
“I think this is great for Ringgold softball,” Hackett added. “The program has so much working for it. My first year here, we were blessed to get some new facilities and we were able to take that team and just start to rock and roll.
“For our school and our principals, I’m just so glad to be a part of this.”