RINGGOLD, Ga. -- Following two games in which the teams combined for 35 runs, 41 hits and a boatload of baserunners, it was almost a "Told you so" moment for Ringgold baseball coach Brent Tucker.
Tucker's Tigers used four home runs and 13 hits to defeat Westminster 10-7 in game one of the GHSA Class AAA second-round series Wednesday. The Wildcats answered with 10 hits and took advantage of seven Ringgold walks to take game two, 10-8.
Game three is today at 4 at Bill Womack Field. According to Tucker, it likely will follow the same script.
"It had all the makings of a series like this," he said. "I knew all the games would be a battle. We've played them this year and last year in the regular season, and all the games were close. You've got two proud programs that are used to winning and won't go down without a fight, so it should go to a game three."
The Tigers (24-7) jumped to a 7-3 lead after four innings in the opener as Ty Jones and Jacob Justice hit homers, the former a three-run shot in the second. Westminster (21-9) rallied to tie it in the fifth on two-run homers from Will Benson and Dalton Light, chasing Ringgold starting pitcher Devin Lancaster.
The Tigers scored the eventual game-winner on Garrett Yates' infield single that got Garrett Peeples home in the fifth. Back-to-back homers from Justice and Ethan Dalton gave Ringgold insurance in the sixth, and Zach Morris earned the win with 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.
"When it heats up around here the ball starts flying, so there is no lead big enough, as I told the guys," Tucker said. "I thought we hit the ball well all night long, and at times we pitched the ball well. They've got a big, strong lineup from top to bottom, so we know they're going to get some hits."
That proved prophetic in the second game after Morris' two-run homer in the first inning, his RBI double in the third and a pair of run-scoring wild pitches had the Tigers up 5-2 and smelling a sweep.
However, the Wildcats sent 10 batters to the plate and scored six runs on seven hits to end Ringgold starter Devin Wilbanks' night early. Connor Stutts had a two-run homer and the seven, eight and nine hitters -- Light, Blake Huber and Robert deGolian -- had RBI hits to highlight the long inning.
Ringgold got two back in the fourth on Jones' RBI single and Morris' sacrifice fly, but the fourth and fifth innings included four Westminster walks and two hit batters as the visitors scored a single run in each without a hit.
Those would prove costly, as would an adventurous sixth inning at the plate for Ringgold. The Tigers scored a run but had two runners thrown out at third and left the bases loaded. The big play was Yates getting thrown out trying to go from first to third on Jones' RBI single. Yates appeared to be lying on the base when the tag was applied, causing a heated argument.
A hit batter and walk to Justice loaded the bases with two out, but Westminster reliever Stutts got Dalton to ground back to the mound to end the threat. Hard-throwing Rankin Woley came on in the seventh and retired the Tigers in order to set up today's deciding game.
"We thought we had a shot in the sixth inning with the bases loaded and Ethan up, because he's had some big hits for us this year," Tucker said. "He didn't come through that time, but who's to say he won't tomorrow? Hey, we'll go home, eat something big, get a good night's sleep and get after it tomorrow."
Morris, who had four RBIs in game two, expects to take the hill today and said he's ready to go.
"Westminster is a great team," he said. "This is a final-four type matchup. It was very frustrating watching them get some cheap runs, but I know we have a great team and tomorrow we'll show them what we're made of.
"We have to throw strikes tomorrow and keep our bats hot. If we do those things we'll win. I can pitch all seven innings tomorrow, no doubt."
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296.