Ringgold two wins away from trip to Columbus

Dahlonega is nice in the fall, but the Ringgold Lady Tigers have other parts of the state that they want to see in October.

Like Columbus.

The Blue-and-white are just two wins away from making that trip after they took down host Lumpkin County in their opening-round Class 3A state playoff series this past weekend.

Ringgold won the opener on Friday, 7-4, but dropped a 5-2 decision in the nightcap. However, a 12-3 victory on Saturday afternoon would send the Lady Tigers through the next round.

Standing between Ringgold (17-17) and a trip to Columbus is Region 8 champion and state No. 3-ranked Jefferson. The Lady Dragons will host the second-round series, which is scheduled to begin with a doubleheader on Wednesday.

Jefferson advanced after blanking Cedar Grove in the first round, 15-0 and 12-0.

After failing to score with the bases loaded in each of the first two innings of Game 1, the Lady Tigers finally broke through as Baileigh Pitts hammered a two-run homer in the top of the fourth give her team a 2-1 lead.

The Lady Indians rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the inning, but Ringgold would regain the lead a half-inning later. Autumn Green drove in Caroline Hemphill with a sacrifice fly and Brooklyn Keith would score moments later on a Lumpkin County error.

Ringgold would maintain the two-run lead going into the bottom of the seventh, but a one-out walk would set the table for Evee Dornhecker, who stunned Ringgold with a two-run homer to tie the game.