EXTRA INNINGS ON ORDER FOR TIGERS

The Ringgold Tigers rallied from a 2-0 deficit and defeated the Dalton Catamounts in eight innings last Monday night at Bill Womack Field by a score of 3-2.

A pair of solo home runs by Georgia Tech signee Tyler Neises — one in the first inning and one in the third — staked the visitors to the lead before the Blue-and-white were finally able to dent the scoreboard in the fourth.

Ross Norman walked, stole second and moved to third on a groundout. He would score on a sacrifice fly by Sam Crew.

The Tigers put the tying run on base with one out in the sixth, only to see it erased by a double play. However, they would scratch out a run in the seventh to tie things up. Crew singled and courtesy runner Garrett Edgar swiped second before scoring on a Brady Hermann Rbi-single.

Then in the eighth, Aiden Hickman led off with a single and Conner Christopher walked. A balk moved the runners into scoring position and Hickman would scamper home on a Sebastian Haggard sacrifice fly to end the game.

Norman, Hermann and Jackson Black also had singles for the Tigers, who finished with seven stolen bases as a team.

Black pitched the first five innings and allowed two earned runs on four hits. He struck out five and walked one before handing things off to Crew, who picked up the win in relief. The senior pitched three hitless, scoreless innings and struck out six batters, giving up just one walk.

The Tigers found themselves embroiled in another extra-inning affair some 24 hours later, but once the dust had settled it was the homestanding Phoenix emerging with a 10-inning win.

The only runs of the game came in the final frame.

With Ty Gilbert on first base and one out in the top of the 10th, Cade Tankersley ripped a double to give the Tigers two runners in scoring position. The Phoenix got the second out on strikes, but Hickman came through with an Rbi-single to plate Gilbert and finally get Ringgold on the board.

Unfortunately, the lead would not last. The Phoenix loaded the bases on a walk and two singles, although they had a runner forced out at home two straight times. But the third time was not the charm for Ringgold as the tying run scored on a passed ball before the winning run raced home on an error.

Norman was dominant on the hill in six innings of work. He gave up just one hit and one walk and struck out 14 hitters. Jacob Swanson pitched a hitless inning of relief, while Deven Black pitched 2.2 innings out of the bullpen. He surrendered two runs — one earned — on four hits and two walks with two strikeouts.

Hermann went 2 for 4, while Norman had a double and drew four walks.