Tigers earn two gut-check wins to increase 6-AAA lead
The Ringgold Tigers already have a reputation for having one of the toughest pitching staffs and one of the toughest lineups in all of Class 3A.
But this past week, the Tigers showed that they have the mental toughness to go with the rest of it.
The No. 1-ranked Tigers overcame five-run deficits twice in three games and strengthened their hold on the Region 6-AAA standings as they posted three more victories.
Ringgold 11, Sonoraville 10
The Tigers overcame five errors and a 10-5 deficit to pull out the home win over the pesky Phoenix on Tuesday.
Tied 5-5 after two innings, the Phoenix would plate five runs in the top of the fifth to take a seemingly comfortable lead. However, Ringgold would get three of the runs back in the bottom of the fifth and would add three more in the bottom of the sixth before turning it over to the bullpen in the top of the seventh.
Holden Tucker would strike out three batters in his one inning of work to record the save, while Andrew Ghormley fanned two batters in 1.1 innings of relief to pick up the win. Nathan Camp started and pitched the first 2.2 innings, while Casey Pate struck out five in two innings.
Wyatt Tennant had three hits and an RBI to pace the offense, while Gavin Hollis had two hits and drove in a run. Camp was 2-for-3 with a homerun and two RBIs. Andre Tarver had a double and a homer with two RBIs. Daulton Schley homered and knocked in two, while Ty Jones also brought in a run.
Ringgold 15, Murray County 0
The Tigers were only able to get in three innings before the rains came on Thursday night, but three innings were all the Blue-and-White needed.
Playing at home, Ringgold scored six times in the first inning, once in the second and eight in the third to win in a rout.
Johnny Camillucci was the beneficiary of all the run support. He gave up just one hit and one walk, fanning five hitters in the win.
Offensive stars were plentiful for the Tigers. Schley was 2-for-3 with a double and three RBIs. Dylan Wright was 1-for-1, drew two walks and knocked in three runs, while Jones scored three times, once on a solo homer. Camp and Tennant each had two RBIs, while Tarver and Brayden Broome each added one.
Ringgold 9, Bremen 6
On Friday, the Tigers battled the secondplace Blue Devils for the region lead and collected perhaps their biggest victory of the year, once again in comeback fashion.
Trailing 6-1 in the bottom of the fifth, Ringgold scored three times in the inning and plated five two-out runs in the home half of the sixth to pick up the win and extend their lead in the standings to two full games at the league’s halfway point.
Bremen led 5-1 after two innings, signaling the end of the night for Tucker, the Ringgold starter. The Tigers’ run came on a screaming solo blast by Tarver in the bottom of the first, but Sam Thompson’s RBI-single in the fourth, his second of the day, pushed the Bremen lead to five with just three innings to play.
That’s when the comeback began.
Tucker and Schley had RBI-singles in the fifth, while Hollis plated a run with a sacrifice fly. Then in the sixth, facing Thompson, who came in to pitch at the start of the inning, Tarver got the rally going with a two-out, two-run single to left. Schley followed with a rocket of an RBIdouble to bring in the go-ahead run. Hollis and Jones would keep it going, smoking two more RBI-doubles off of Thompson before the Blue Devils could finally stop the bleeding.
Bremen would get a leadoff double off Tennant to start the top of the seventh, but Schley gunned down the runner on an inexplicable stolen base attempt at third. A walk and a single would bring the tying run to the plate, but Tennant would get the final two outs, the last coming on strikes to seal the victory.
Tennant allowed just one run on three hits in five innings of relief to get the win. He finished with eight strikeouts. Tarver went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBIs. Schley had two hits and two RBIs, while Hollis drove in a pair of runs. Camp also had one of five doubles for Ringgold on the night.
Ringgold was scheduled to be at home against Adairsville on Tuesday before a road game at LFO on Thursday and a home clash with Calhoun on Friday. All three games will start at 5:55 p.m.