Rivals Calhoun and Ringgold have gotten quite used to each other over the last two seasons, and despite earning the upper hand in their postseason meetings, the Lady Jackets have been unable to win one of their regular-season contests. They changed that on Thursday.
The three- time defending state champion Calhoun hosted Ringgold for a Region 6-AAA crossover matchup on Thursday and got shutout pitching from Torri Gaddis and some big hits from the middle of their lineup to earn a 7-0 victory.
“This is the first time we’ve beaten them in the regular season in three years,” said Calhoun coach Diane Smith. “We’ve had some really tough games with them. They are a very good team, and we feel like they and Sonoraville are our toughest competition in our region.”
Gaddis went all seven innings for the complete- game shutout to earn the win for Calhoun (5-0). She gave up six hits and struck out three, and every time she got into trouble, she made great pitches and got some outstanding defensive plays behind her. Third baseman Jana Johns and second baseman Maddie Clay had some stellar glove work, and Tori Roper ended a potential scoring chance by Ringgold when she threw a runner out at the plate to end the fifth.
“Tori did an outstanding job,” said Smith. “Her pitch selection was good, and Chloe ( Rice) did a great job calling the game behind the plate. Our defense was incredible too. I’m very confident in our pitching and defense.”
Calhoun got on the board quickly to take the momentum from the start with a three-run first inning, which included RBIs from Maddie Bumgardner and Clay. After the two pitchers traded a few scoreless innings, the Lady Jackets padded their lead with a three-run fourth as Johns cranked a tworun homer to center and Bumgardner made it back-to-back shots with a solo jack. Allie Jones knocked in the final run on a rare 7-5 fielder’s choice.
In total, the 3-6 hitters in Calhoun’s lineup went 9-for-13 with six RBIs. Smith said her entire lineup is dangerous, and everyone seems to be off to a hot start in the first two weeks of the season.
“I feel confident in all of them, from the top to the middle to the bottom of the lineup,” said Smith, who is in her 31st season as Calhoun softball coach. “They’re all capable of getting big hits and doing the job we need them to do. We’re hitting it well right now. I hope we can keep this up the whole season.”
Johns finished 2-for-2 with her two-run homer, two walks and three runs scored. Bumgardner and Clay were each 3-for-4 with Bumgardner knocking in two runs and scoring two and Clay with an RBI and a stolen base. Jones finished with a hit and an RBI, and Ashlyn Barnes and Ryan Brzozoski each had two hits and a run apiece.
Ringgold (3-2) spread six hits throughout their lineup with no players having multiple hits. Kayla Woody and Shelby Cole both had doubles, and Kaylee Womack had a hit and a stolen base.
Smith said she’s been pleased with how her team has played in their first several games of the new season, but they are always looking for ways to improve.
“We always want to get better,” said Smith. “One thing I’ve noticed so far this year is that we usually struggle at the beginning of the season because the girls have to get used to playing with each other after playing for their travel teams over the summer. But we seem to have come together more quickly than we usually do. I like to see that.”
The Lady Jackets were in action in the LFO Tournament over the weekend at Jack Mattox Park. They visited Gordon Lee on Tuesday in a non-region test. (For details on that game, see Saturday’s Calhoun Times.) They open Region 6-AAA South subregion play on Thursday at 5 p.m. at Haralson County.