Ringgold, Heritage win softball season openers
The Ringgold Lady Tigers came out swinging in their season opener at LaFayette last Monday night, racking up 14 hits in a 9-4 victory over the Lady Ramblers.
Five players finished with multiple hits, including a 4-for-5 day from junior shortstop Riley Nayadley, as the Blue-and-White scored the final six runs of the evening to pull away. Baileigh Pitts, Jade Gainer, Ava Raby and Alex Huerta all collected two basehits apiece. Raby, Shelby Cole and Caroline Hemphill all picked up two RBIs each, while Gainer drove in one.
Kaylee Phillips, who came in to pitch in the bottom of the third inning, got the victory in relief for Ringgold. She threw 4.1 shutout innings of three-hit ball, walking one and striking out two. Taylor Thomas started the game and gave up four earned runs on four hits and three walks in 2.1 innings, but got no decision.
The defending Class 4A state champion Generals opened the 2019 season on Thursday and picked up right where they left off last year with a home victory over their county rivals behind a dominant performance by junior pitcher Rachel Gibson.
Gibson celebrated her birthday by allowing just two hits and two walks and striking out 10 in the complete-game victory. Bailey Christol had a double and drove in two runs, while Riley Kokinda also had two RBIs in the victory for Heritage (1-0).
Ringgold (1-1) got a run in the first inning on an RBI by Nayadley, but Heritage would take the lead with three runs in the bottom of the third before adding two more an inning later. Pitts had a double for the Lady Tigers. Phillips pitched six innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits and four walks with five strikeouts.
Due to newspaper deadlines, details of Monday’s rematch at Ringgold were not available as of press time.