DALTON, Ga. - The Heritage High School softball program is no stranger to postseason success, but there have been few, if any, seasons in which the Lady Generals have earned the role of underdogs.
After finishing fourth in the regular-season standings, they may have shed that temporary label Tuesday in the Region 6-AAAA tournament at Dalton's Heritage Point Park.
After a 16-1 win over No. 1 seed Ridgeland on Monday, Heritage also run-ruled No. 2 seed Northwest Whitfield on Tuesday, 9-0. Freshman pitcher Rachel Gibson threw a six-inning perfect game, striking out 15, while the offense pounded out 13 hits after getting 17 Monday.
"It's been a process, it really has, but I'm just so proud of our girls for being able to stay with it and focus on the next game," first-year coach Tanner Moore said. "They have started clicking at the right time, to say the least.
"Rachel was special tonight. That's the ability she has, and she put it together for a full game tonight. At times she can be a bit wild, but she's a freshman and she's still learning."
Heritage (18-8) will await the winner of the 5 p.m. Northwest-Ridgeland losers-bracket final tonight at 7 and needs a win there or in Thursday's "if necessary" game to claim the region title. Also Tuesday, Ridgeland bounced back with a pair of wins, 4-1 over Pickens and 6-2 over LaFayette, which finishes as the region's No. 4 playoff seed.
Heritage's Gibson was dominant against the Lady Bruins, allowing only three balls in play and getting seven called strikeouts among her 15.
"We hit one ground ball and maybe put two or three in play, and she struck out the rest," said Northwest coach Jason Brooker. "The first time we played you could tell she was good but she wasn't sharp. This time she was sharp from the start."
Heritage got all the runs it would need in the third inning, scoring six times highlighted by two-run doubles from Mallory Lowe and Ashley Faulkenberry. Red-hot Madi Morris, off a seven-RBI performance Monday, was 4-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored, with Kaylie Frogge adding three hits, two RBIs and two runs.
"The girls are just buying into our approach at the plate," said Moore, trying to explain the hot hitting. "We've got a certain way we want to approach at-bats, and it's not been perfect during the season, but they are starting to completely understand it and it's paying off."
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296; follow on Twitter @youngsports22.