Heritage sweeps cross-county softball series with Ringgold
After erupting for nine runs in the top of the sixth inning back on Aug. 7 to break open a close game at Ringgold, the Heritage Generals almost did it again last Monday night, this time at home.
Heritage plated seven runs in the bottom of the sixth in the rematch to erase a 6-4 deficit and claim an 11-6 win over the Lady Tigers to sweep the season-opening series.
Heritage (2-0) scored three times in the bottom of the second inning, keyed by a Lexi Duckett two-run single. However, Ringgold would come back with four runs in the top of the third, two coming on a single by starting pitcher Maddy Bacon, which gave her team the lead.
The Lady Tigers would tack on two more runs in the fourth inning to forge a 6-3 lead. The Generals would get one of those runs back in the bottom of the fifth inning, but 11 batters would stroll to the plate in the bottom of the sixth as the home team took the lead for good.
Zoe Wright, Carmen Gayler and Madeline Stone matched Duckett with two hits, while Gayler and Bailey Christol matched Duckett with two RBIs. Wright, Stone, Bailey Davis and Riley Kokinda all had solo RBIs in the game.
Avah Morrison got the start for Heritage and pitched the first three innings, allowing four hits and one walk. She was relieved by Brinley Horner, who gave up five hits and three walks with one strikeout.
For Ringgold, Bacon and Taylor Layne had two hits each, while Layne, Alyissa Sue, Addi Broome, Caroline Hemphill, Riley Nayadley and Baileigh Pitts all had one RBI apiece.
Bacon threw the first five innings. She allowed 11 hits and one walk and finished with one strikeout. Layne gave up two hits in relief.
Heritage was scheduled to play two games in the Georgia Dugout Club tournament in Atlanta on Saturday. However, torrential rains forced their game against Marietta to be canceled. The Generals led 2-1 after one-and-a-half innings when play was halted. It was ruled a no-contest and the game will not be made up. Their scheduled game against Alexander will be played on Sept. 3 with time and location to be determined.
Ringgold 8, Adairsville 0
The Lady Tigers got two extra-base hits and three
RBIs from Pitts in a home victory last Tuesday, lifting them to their first Region 6-AAA victory of the season.
Pitts got the offense going with a first-inning solo home run and ripped a two-run triple an inning later as Ringgold led 6-0 after two complete innings. They tacked on two more runs in the third and would eventually win the game on the run rule after five.
Layne was sharp in the circle for the Blue-and-White. She pitched all five innings and gave up just two hits, both singles. She did not walk a batter and finished with one strikeout.
Amber Gainer went 2 for 3 with a pair of RBIs, while Bacon was 2 for 2 with one RBI. Jade Gainer also had an RBI-triple in the win. Sue drove in one run and Broome added a double.
Ringgold 7, Calhoun 2
The Lady Tigers made the drive to Calhoun this past Wednesday for a make-up contest against the Lady Jackets and handed their former region rivals a loss.
Nayadley delivered a tworun single in the third. Jade Gainer would add a two
run double in the fifth and Pitts would belt her second homer in as many nights, a two-run shot, in the top of the seventh.
Sue gave up just two earned runs in the circle, both coming in the bottom of the fifth. She allowed five hits and six walks and struck out one batter to record her first win in a Ringgold uniform.
Amber Gainer was 2 for 4 with three runs scored, while Pitts and Nayadley also had two hits each.
Sonoraville 7, Ringgold 2
The Blue-and-White closed out the week on Thursday and outhit the host Lady Phoenix, 7-5. However, Sonoraville rallied from a 2-0 deficit, thanks to a five-run third inning.
Jade Gainer was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring in an early run and Layne doubled and later scored on an RBI-single by Amber Gainer in the second. However, Ringgold would leave 10 runners stranded on base during the game.
The Gainer twins each went 2 for 3 with an RBI for the Lady Tigers.
Bacon started in the circle and lasted 3.1 innings. She gave up seven earned runs on four hits and three walks with two strikeouts. Layne pitched 2.2 innings of relief, allowing just one hit and one walk.