RINGGOLD, Ga. - Shane Pendley didn't want to get too excited over what he had just witnessed, but he's coached enough high school softball to know a playoff-ready team when he sees one.
Pendley's Ringgold Lady Tigers had just edged Sonoraville, 2-1, in a deciding game three of the Region 6-AAA tournament Tuesday at Hazel Brown Field, and Pendley couldn't help but think a team that had been rather inconsistent during the regular season was now ready for a deep GHSA playoff run.
After all, the Lady Tigers (16-10), who will play at Calhoun on Wednesday in an opening doubleheader start to the best-of-three region championship series, received excellent pitching from freshman Kaylee Phillips (seven hits, no earned runs), clutch hits late and a stellar defensive play to save the game.
"That was a well-played softball game on both sides," Pendley said. "It could have gone either way, but we rose up when we had to. There was a time this year when we were kind of down, but I feel we are finally hitting our stride at the right time."
Ringgold trailed 1-0 entering the bottom of the fourth after Griffin Holden's RBI single in the top half of the inning. Hannah Crosland quickly tied it with a one-out solo homer to dead center, and the Lady Tigers took the lead an inning later when Kaylee Womack singled home Ally Ellis with one out.
Sonoraville (16-12), which will play Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe to decide third and fourth place, nearly tied it in the sixth after Holden doubled with two outs. Thaley Jackson followed with a sharp single to center, but Ringgold senior Karoline Sholl charged hard and threw a one-hop strike to the plate, where Dare Schley handled a tricky hop and tagged out Holden to end the inning.
"When she hit it, I knew he was going to send her," Sholl said. "I shot it home and Dare made a great play and got her out. I've been waiting for a play like that all season, and it was nice to get it today. It's awesome, especially in my senior year, to host at least one more one round in the state playoffs."
Phillips then made the lead hold up by working around a one-out walk in the seventh to secure Ringgold's biggest win of the season.
"Kaylee really pitched well today in a deciding game," Pendley praised. "She's just gotten better all year, and it was a big team win. Hannah has had a great year, and we really needed that home run. We were kind of down at that point.
"We were hoping to get Calhoun one more time. They have kind of dominated us this season, but we're ready to go down there and give it a go. You have to hit against them, and right now we're swinging the bats well."
* In Region 6-AAAA, which opened its semifinal round Monday, top-seeded Ridgeland swept LaFayette, 11-5 and 4-1, while Heritage and Northwest Whitfield split two games. The Generals prevailed 4-3 before the Lady Bruins won 4-0. Game three will be played today at Heritage starting at 5:55 p.m.
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296; follow on Twitter @youngsports22.