RINGGOLD, Ga. - October fastpitch softball in Georgia is played at a different speed than in the preceding two months.
Northwest Whitfield and Heritage are accustomed to the difference, having won the last five region titles between them. The two familiar foes tangled again Tuesday in a deciding game of a Region 6-AAAA semifinal series, and Northwest's Lady Bruins came out on top, 2-1.
Northwest (20-12) will play at Ridgeland for the region championship in a best-of-three series beginning Thursday with a doubleheader, while Heritage (19-12) will host LaFayette in the third-place series.
"This is how it goes when these two teams play," Northwest coach Jason Brooker said. "For the past few years Heritage has kind of been in our way as they've won championships, just like we did before. These girls wanted to get back to that championship series, and now they want to win it."
Tuesday, as it so often is at this time of year, was all about pitching and defense as Northwest's Anna Grace Rand, throwing on consecutive days for the first time in several weeks, pitched a four-hit gem. The Lady Bruins' defense, outside of one odd sixth-inning episode, was flawless as the grounder-inducing Rand had the Lady Generals eating out of her hand.
Northwest took a 1-0 lead on Sydney Horne's two-out RBI single in the fifth and added what turned out to be the winning run the next inning on Molly Middleton's two-out single. Heritage, though, got one back in the bottom half when Ali Roberts walked, went to second on a wild pitch and came around to score on consecutive throwing errors.
"I think the circus came to town on that play," Brooker said with a laugh.
Rand, rattled somewhat by the play, issued a two-out walk and gave up Mallory Lowe's single before ending the threat by getting a popout. She needed only five pitches in the seventh to seal the win and send her team to the title series.
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296; follow on Twitter @youngsports22.