Ridgeland continues to set the pace in Region 6-4A

After a tough outing last weekend at the Allatoona Buc Bash that saw them go 1-3, things weren’t expected to get any easier for the Ridgeland Lady Panthers at home this past Tuesday as they welcomed red-hot Northwest Whitfield to Rossville.

Ridgeland, however, was up for the challenge.

Despite committing four errors, the Lady Panthers pushed home a pair of runs in both the bottom of the third and fourth innings and made them hold up in a 4-3 victory that snapped the Lady Bruins’ eightgame winning streak.

Northwest led 20 after the top of the third before the Lady Panthers tied things up in the home half of the frame. The Lady Bruins retook the lead with a solo run in the top of the fourth, but Ridgeland answered to regain the lead and shut out Northwest the rest of the way.

Allison Wallin gave up five hits and did not walk a batter as she got the victory. She struck out seven batters in six innings and only gave up one earned run. Morgan Crawford worked the seventh, striking out one to pick up the save.

Cortney Mooneyham had two RBIs in the win, while Crawford was 2 for 3 with one run driven in. Haley Sandridge had two hits and scored once, while Kiera Foster added an RBI. Haley Walker chipped in with a double.

Ridgeland 2, Gilmer 0

After dropping their first Region 6-4A game of the season at home to Gilmer early last month, the Lady Panthers have clicked off five straight victories against region opposition.

This past Thursday night, in Ellijay, they made it six.

No. 8-ranked Ridgeland scored solo runs in the top of the first and seventh innings and avenged the loss to the Lady Bobcats with a shutout victory.

Crawford was the star on Thursday as she went 2 for 3 with an RBI and fired a completegame, four-hitter to get the win in the circle. The senior finished with just one strikeout and stranded four Gilmer runners on base.

Sandridge doubled and scored for Ridgeland (9-4 overall), while Kiera Foster singled and scored. Walker also chipped in with a hit.

Taylor Boling for Gilmer pitched well in the loss. She gave up five hits and struck out six in seven innings of work. Only one of the two runs she allowed were earned.

That win, combined with Heritage’s 7-4 win over Northwest Whitfield, sets up a huge showdown in Rossville at 5:55 p.m. this Tuesday between the Lady Panthers and the thirdranked Generals (11-2 overall). Both teams currently sit atop the region table at 6-1, although Ridgeland currently owns the head-tohead tiebreaker.

They are both two games clear of Northwest (4-3) to begin the week, while Gilmer and LaFayette are both 3-4 in region play with Gilmer holding the current tiebreaker. Pickens is 2-4 in region play, while Southeast Whitfield is 0-7.

Ridgeland will play at Pickens on Thursday.