A 3-3 record isn’t the way most teams want to start a season, but new Ringgold baseball coach Brent Tucker will take it.
The former Ridgeland coach is still learning personnel, and the Tigers are learning about their coach and his philosophy.
And the record is appreciated, especially considering the competition. Ringgold fell 4-3 to Science Hill on Friday in McCallie’s Scenic City Classic, and the Johnson City team is expected to be among Tennessee’s Class AAA championship contenders by May.
Tucker isn’t surprised.
“That’s a good team,” he said, nodding toward the third-base dugout where the Hilltoppers were gathering their gear. “We’re one hit or one defensive play away from winning the game.”
Science Hill, which had jumped ahead 2-0 in the bottom of the first, had to score a run in the sixth on a Zach Fairchild pitch that got past his catcher to break a 3-all tie.
“This was a game about opportunities, and we had chances,” Tucker said.
Each team scored two runs on passed balls or wild pitches, but Fairchild wound up suffering his first loss.
Ringgold has yet to get blown out of a game despite having played District 6-AAA favorite Red Bank, 2007 Division II state runner-up McCallie, 2007 AAA state tournament participant Bradley Central and Georgia AA power Calhoun. The Tigers lost in extra innings to Red Bank and dropped a sluggers duel against McCallie. They beat Bradley and Thursday defeated Boyd-Buchanan 10-0 in five innings on Tyler Dockery’s one-hit shutout.
“We have had some tough losses, but I really like where we are,” Tucker said. “The guys know where we are trying to get, and we definitely came ready to play. These early-in-season games will help us in the long run. We’ll come through in the future.”
Drew Walker had a double and a single and Fairchild had a double for three of the Tigers’ six hits. Science Hill was led by Lucas Anderson and Nathaniel Patterson.
Against Boyd-Buchanan, Walker had two RBIs and Justin Harris and Michael Smith doubled. Walker and Harris committed to Armstrong Atlantic State earlier this week.
Ringgold will play two games today beginning at 10 a.m. at Baylor’s field. The tournament final is scheduled for 7 p.m. at AT&T Field.
Ward Gossett is an assistant sports editor and writer for the Times Free Press. Ward has a long history in Chattanooga journalism. He actually wrote a bylined story for the Chattanooga News-Free Press as a third-grader. He Began working part-time there in 1968 and was hired full time in 1970. Ward now covers high school athletics, primarily football, wrestling and baseball and University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling. Over a 40-year career, he has covered ...
