TUNNEL HILL, Ga. - Jason Brooker would prefer to do without the early drama, but, considering the bottom line, the Northwest Whitfield High School softball coach will take it.
Thursday's 9-4 Region 6-AAAA win over LaFayette followed a familiar script for the Lady Bruins as the Lady Ramblers took a quick lead only to see the home team rally with a seven-run first inning. Northwest (15-1, 7-1) moved into first place and dropped LaFayette (13-2, 6-2) into second.
"We got down early, and it seems like that's what we've done all year," Brooker said. "We've come back, I think, in each of our last four region games. I wish we could have put them away, but it's hard to put a good team away, but we did what we had to do.
"It's big getting a little bit of separation as we go for that top seed in this region. There's never going to be that much separation."
The importance of the game - LaFayette won the previous matchup - was on display early as Brooker pulled starting pitcher Shaylen Sutton with two outs, two runs in and one runner still on base in the first inning. The move worked as reliever Cara Rann got out of the inning and proceeded to work the rest of game, allowing one earned run.
"I was getting a hard time with the quick hook, but when you have such trust in the next one up it's easier to do that," Brooker said. "Shaylen has been good all year, but she just struggled early tonight. It's good when you have depth like we have."
After the visitors took the early 2-0 lead on Madison Pettigrew's solo homer and an RBI single by Shyenne Youngblood, Northwest quickly rallied. Pettigrew walked the first three Lady Bruins in the bottom half before KayLeigh Fitzgerald lined a two-run single.
A hit batter and a fielder's choice led to another run, and Nicole Bates plated two more with a single before Molly Middleton brought home the seventh run with a single, chasing Pettigrew from the circle.
LaFayette had its chances against Rann, leaving two on in the second after getting a run on Shelby Atkins' single and leaving two more on in the fourth, fifth and seventh innings. Rann, though, worked through each threat to secure the big win.
"I was prepared to come in," she said. "This game was really big. The last time we played them I was really sick, so to come back this time and pitch my guts out was big. We have eight pitchers, so when one has a bad game we just come in and get the job done. I'm really excited for the rest of the season."
Fitzgerald and Bates had two hits each for the winners, while Nicky Yance had three of LaFayette's 10 hits.
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296. Follow him on Twitter @youngsports22.