CHICKAMAUGA, Ga. — If there is a plan for a high school baseball season, someone needs to patent whatever Drew Walker has cooked up at Ringgold.
For the third time in his four seasons as the top guy with the Tigers, Walker celebrated a region championship Tuesday night after Ringgold defeated Gordon Lee 6-0 in Region 6-AAA to claim the program's 23rd region title.
Like last season, when the Tigers (21-5, 12-1) went undefeated in region play and reached the championship finals in 3A, they are playing their best ball at the end of the regular season, having now won 11 consecutive games, the last seven by at least six runs.
"I'm so proud of our guys for the hard work and dedication they have had to each other and our program since June," Walker said. "They earned very ounce of this one. We have had a run of region championships over the last 10 years, but each journey is different, which makes them all so sweet in their own way."
One constant during the long run of success has been starting pitching, and Tuesday night was no different as senior ace Sebastian Haggard earned his seventh win in seven starts with a two-hit, nine-strikeout gem.
"Sebastian has been so consistent his entire career," Walker said. "His work ethic and determination has always been beyond his years. Our guys love playing behind him and know that he gives us a great chance to win every time he is on the mound. I'm proud of him and it's so fitting that he was able to be on the bottom of that dog-pile this evening."
Haggard allowed only two runners to reach second base and each time quickly shut down any Gordon Lee (16-12, 10-3) scoring hopes. After allowing a leadoff single in the third inning to Brock Crutchfield, Haggard retired the next nine batters, five via strikeout.
The Tigers managed just five hits against Gordon Lee starter Aiden Goodwin and two relievers, but they took advantage of seven walks to score two runs in the first, fourth and sixth innings. Aidan Hickman led off the game with a single to left, with Hadden Fries following with a walk and Conner Christopher a walk to load the bases. Haggard followed with a sacrifice fly and Jackson Black an RBI groundout for the 2-0 early lead.
Goodwin retired Ringgold in order the next two innings before Black opened the fourth with a double and Ryder Fairchild walked. After an out, Garrett Edgar plated two runs with a double for a 4-0 lead.
The Tigers added two in the sixth inning on another Edgar RBI hit and an error, more than enough for Haggard, who worked around a hit batter in the seventh to record the shutout.
Ringgold will host a first-round best-of-three playoff series next Tuesday at Bill Womack Field against the Region 7 No. 4 seed. Gordon Lee can clinch the No. 2 playoff seed with a win at Ringgold Thursday or a Bremen loss to Adairsville. The Trojans, who joined the Tigers in the 3A quarterfinals last year, hold the tiebreaker over Bremen if the teams end in a tie for second place.
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com.